When we last saw the Carolina Panthers, they were dejectedly walking off the field after a tough Super Bowl loss to the Denver Broncos. It was an ignominious end to a brilliant season for the Panthers, and they’ll hope to erase that memory in 2016. It all starts with their Thursday preseason opener against the Baltimore Ravens.
Panthers vs. Ravens 2016 live stream: Start time, TV schedule and how to watch online
The Panthers open their preseason against the Ravens, and they’ll be eager to put their Super Bowl disappointment behind them.
Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
The Panthers had the best season in franchise history last year, storming out to a 15-1 record and steamrolling the Arizona Cardinals in the NFC Championship, earning their second-ever Super Bowl appearance. After years of good but not great production, Cam Newton fulfilled his incredible potential in 2015, taking home both the MVP and Offensive Player of the Year. The defense, led by Luke Kuechly and Josh Norman, was one of the fiercest in the league. Heck, even Ted Ginn was sort of useful.
Unfortunately, Carolina’s season ended on a sour note in Santa Clara. The Broncos suffocated the Panthers en route to a 24-10 win, giving Peyton Manning a treasured retirement gift and setting up that infamous press conference Newton walked out on.
Carolina returns mostly the same team, with two big differences. Norman got franchise tagged, but when the Panthers decided they couldn’t afford to sign him long term, they rescinded the tag and let him sign with Washington. However, they’ll be getting back No. 1 wideout Kelvin Benjamin, who missed last season with a torn ACL. If Newton can shrug off his Super Bowl performance and continue playing at a high level, the Panthers should have another playoff run in them.
The Ravens are also coming off a disappointing season, but for entirely different reasons. Nearly every difference-making playmaker (Joe Flacco, Terrell Suggs, Steve Smith and Justin Forsett, among many others) suffered season-ending injuries and the short-handed Ravens stumbled to 5-11, the first losing season in John Harbaugh’s tenure.
Despite the record, the Ravens were surprisingly competitive even with all the injuries -- they lost just two of 11 games by more than eight points. The hope is that with their important players coming back healthy, they’ll get back to contention in the rugged AFC North.
That said, the Ravens have some things to figure out in preseason. Forsett is now 30 years old and facing competition from the likes of Terrance West, Javorius Allen and rookie Kenneth Dixon. Wide receiver is a question mark with Smith 37 and coming back from a torn Achilles. And tight end might be the biggest mystery of all, with Ben Watson, Crockett Gillmore, Maxx Williams and even Dennis Pitta all fighting for spots.
The Ravens have a lot of talent on paper if they stay healthy, but given the creeping age of their star players, that’s not exactly a guarantee and there’s some questionable depth at key positions. They could either compete for a division crown or find themselves looking up at the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals again. Needless to say, it’s a pretty nervy time for Ravens fans right now.
How to watch
When: 7:30 p.m. ET
Where: M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore
TV: CSN Mid-Atlantic Plus, WCCB 18 (Charlotte)
Announcers: Gerry Sandusky, Stan White, Qadry Ismail (Ravens feed); Mick Mixon, Mike Rucker (Panthers feed)
Online: NFL Game Pass
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