Panthers have no weaknesses

Thanks to an emerging passing game, the Panthers are a more balanced team than New England.

Updated: January 21, 2004, 11:43 AM ET
By By Darrell Trimble | NFL Insider
As the NFL cruelly gives us an additional week to stew over Super Bowl XXXVIII between the Carolina Panthers and the New England Patriots, we have an extra seven days to pore over all of the strengths and weaknesses of each team.

But instead of focusing in on particular units or individual matchups, let's take a step back and look at the big picture.

As a team, it's difficult to doubt the Patriots' pedigree. They definitely have flaws, like an inconsistent ground game and a punter who's already been fired once this season, but that hasn't stopped them from reeling off 14 consecutive victories. No team wins that many games solely based on good fortune. New England's defense is tough to score on and the Pats have a quarterback who plays very well in pressure situations. In short, they're a tough out.


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