The following is an excerpt from Warren Sharp's 2025 Football Preview book. In addition to Warren's deep, detailed write-up on all 32 NFL teams, each chapter features page after page of full-color charts, stats, and heatmaps as well as penalty analysis from Joe Gibbs. Click here for a full FREE chapter from the 2025 Football Preview.
Penalties are an under-discussed aspect of NFL success and failure. Average teams can become playoff contenders with good discipline, and good teams can become great simply by winning the penalty battle.
Let's look at how the Carolina Panthers performed from a penalty perspective in 2024 and where they can improve in 2025.
How Did Penalties Impact the Carolina Panthers?
The Good
- The Panthers offense accounted for 45% of the team's overall penalties, below the NFL average of 51.7%.
- The offense was not great at generating automatic first downs via penalty last season. However, they were one of the higher ranked offenses in the league at benefiting from automatic first downs on all important third down plays, ranking 11th in this category.
The Bad
- The Panthers were a top 10 penalized team and finished the 2024 season ranked third in penalties per game at home.
- The Panthers finished the season as the No. 1 penalized home team for false starts per game.
- Carolina led the NFL in delay of game penalties.
- The Panthers offense was subpar at generating beneficial automatic first downs via penalties, ranking 21st per game.
- The Panthers ranked No. 1 in special teams penalties per game.
Grade: C
The hiring of quarterback whisperer Dave Canales paid dividends for Carolina, unlocking Bryce Young’s potential in the second half of the 2024 season.
The Canales and Young duo will enter their second season together, determined to keep that late season progress rolling.
The roster still isn't equipped to win consistently versus elite competition. There remains room for improvement on the defensive side of the ball, and that unit may take another year to be completely revamped.
However, their offense has the potential to be a top 10 scoring unit in the league this season.
If the Panthers can pick up where they left off in 2024, we’ll see an exciting offensive team with the potential to finish above .500 for the first time since the 2017 season.
This analysis continues in the 2025 Football Preview
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Warren Sharp's book shares insights into the players, coaches, teams, and philosophies with one goal: to prepare you for the 2025 NFL season with the smartest information delivered in the fastest, most direct way possible for optimal reviewing and retention.
- Team Chapters previews are in-depth, data driven & full of actionable info
- Fantasy Football player profiles, predictions, and ranks
- Vegas Odds forecast team wins, division rankings, lines for all 2025 games
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- Rookie draft class deep dive into impact for every team
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