Oftentimes, people, especially casual fans, may not remember teams that reach the Super Bowl only to lose, especially a handful of years after the fact. But every now and then, such a team will be a memorable one.
It is now coming up on a decade since the Carolina Panthers reached Super Bowl 50 thanks to an explosive offense and a talented cast overall. The mercurial Cam Newton was their starting quarterback, and he turned in a career-best effort that resulted in him being named the NFL's regular-season MVP.
To honor that team, the Charlotte Observer will be premiering a four-part series on it, as well as a documentary entitled "SUPER MEN: The inside story of the 2015 Carolina Panthers." The documentary will air on July 24 at at Independent Picture House in Charlotte, while the series will be available online starting this coming Monday.
This may not be your usual banal series about the NFL. According to an Observer article, both the series and the documentary will be based upon dozens of interviews that were conducted with various players and stars from that Panthers team, as well as coach Ron Rivera.
That Panthers squad went 15-1 during the regular season and led the entire league in points scored. Newton threw for 3,837 yards and 35 touchdowns, while star tight end Greg Olsen caught 77 passes for 1,104 yards and seven touchdowns.
Greg Olsen and Cam Newton celebrate a touchdown versus the New York Giants.
Carolina Panthers tight end Greg Olsen (88) celebrates with Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton (1) after scoring a touchdown against the New York Giants during the second quarter at MetLife Stadium.
© Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Its defense wasn't too shabby either. Middle linebacker Luke Kuechly and cornerback Josh Norman led the way, and it ranked sixth in points and total yards allowed while forcing more turnovers than any other NFL team.
The Panthers tore through the early rounds of the playoffs and sank their teeth into the Arizona Cardinals with a 49-15 win in the NFC Championship Game. But in the big game, the Denver Broncos shut down their offense and held them to 10 points in a 14-point defeat as Newton played shaky football.
That was the final game legendary QB Peyton Manning ever played, and he became the rare great athlete to retire by winning a world championship.