by Achilles Windsor

Created on: March 05, 2007   Last Updated: October 31, 2008

I feel that in the 2006-2007 season, that the Carolina Panthers were the overall, most disappointing team in the NFL. They had talent at almost every position that just seemed to go to waste. They were picked to win the Super Bowl by many experts, and they came up quite short. Not only did they fail to win the Super Bowl, they failed to win the conference, to win their division, get into the playoffs, and even to post a winning record.

With Pro Bowl and veterans such as Julius Peppers, Kris Jenkins, Steve Smith, Chris Gamble, Ken Lucas, and Jake Delhomme, this season is truly a letdown. On offense, they underachieved at almost every position. At quarterback, Jake Delhomme, who in prior seasons had been excellent in the clutch, struggled under pressure and threw many key interceptions. With a receiving core including such premier players as Steve Smith and Keyshawn Johnson, having a so-so season is unacceptable. On the ground, the Carolina Panthers struggled also, ranking 24th in total yards in a year where injuries were rare. However, the Panthers' key woes came on third downs, where they ranked 30th in converted third downs. On defense, they played well but injuries and weakness in the safeties and linebacking crew often created problems when the Panthers were trying to get back in games.

For a team that was predicted to win the Super Bowl and at least their division, finishing 8-8 and without a winning season is truly unacceptable. That is why the Carolina Panthers are the most disappointing team for the 2006-2007.

However, for Second Place/Honorable Mention for the Most Disappointing Team, I would like to nominate the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Pittsburgh Steelers were on everyone's radar at the beginning of the season with their lack of a major weakness. However, with the loss of some key players to retirement(Jerome Bettis) and free agency(Antwaan Randle El), they lost some of their luster. However, the injury to Ben Roethlisberger may have been the final straw for this disappointing team.

Learn more about this author, Achilles Windsor.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.