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Cinderella 2002. (Insider: NFL).
At some point, first-year coach John Fox will feel comfortable installing his full defensive play-book in Carolina. When that happens--and that might not be until next year--the Panthers' defense will be downright scary. For now, he'll have to settle for having one of the best defenses--and teams--in the league.
The Panthers are 3-1 after their near upset of the Packers in Green Bay. There are some new faces--quarterback Rodney Peete, running back Lamar Smith, rookie defensive end Julius Peppers, and a couple of others--but this is largely the same cast that went 1-15 a year ago. No unit has been more responsible for Carolina's turnaround than the Panthers' defense.
Start with Peppers, who has no clue what he's doing. He's just running wild. When he learns how to use his hands and make some moves, he'll be a monster. Even so, he and Mike Rucker already form the best combination of pass-rush ends in the league. And second-year tackle Kris Jenkins has been a terror in the mid-die. Like Peppers, he's raw, but ...