Carolina Panthers: Cortland Finnegan adds insurance to defense
The Carolina Panthers have a lot to be thankful for this holiday season. They are the only undefeated team left in the NFL as they enjoy a highly unexpected 11-0 record. While sports pundits opine over the reason why this team continues to win, the fact remains that they have a very powerful defense. The Panthers made a move to add some additional backup to said lineup as Cortland Finnegan was added to the roster earlier this week.
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Finnegan is a name that will raise ears to defensive enthusiasts as he was a big part of the Tennessee Titans defense early in his career. Fans will remember him for the two seasons in which he put up five interceptions back in 2008 and 2009. However, he would eventually fade into the background as a part of the mediocre teams in St. Louis and Miami. Earlier this year he announced his retirement from the game, but that would be short lived; which brings him to Charlotte as a part of this league leading defense.
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The Panthers have excelled as a defensive unit all season. They are second in the league with yards allowed per game with 312.5 and third in points allowed per game with 18.6. However, what is more impressive is their give and take away ratio. The team has a total of 28 forced turnovers which include 18 interceptions.
Kurt Coleman leads the core with five, while Josh Norman has four. Thomas Davis and Luke Kuechly stand out as well with three each. These numbers aren’t due to one player excelling, but how well the unit forces opposing quarterbacks to making bad throws within a swarming defense. No one player deserves all the praise as this unit is a strong example of a team performing well.
That is exactly where Finnegan fits into this mold. The Panthers bring him in as veteran insurance during this late push into the year. Carolina was dealing with injuries at the cornerback position. Charles Tillman was out due to injury which left only Teddy Williams as their available backup. According to David Newton of ESPN, Finnegan is slotted to compete for the nickelback position.
“Anytime you can add a guy of Finnegan’s experience at this point in the year, you’re excited about it,” Carolina Defensive Coordinator, Sean McDermott said, via Newton, “He plays our style of football — an aggressive, up-tempo, attacking type of football.”
This is a strong move to help sure up the Panthers defense as they play some high powered offensives in both the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons in the next few weeks. As with many other seasons, the NFL is marred with injuries and one hurt player can completely blow up playoff and championship hopes. Finnegan adds additional experience of a player who is well-versed in his position and physically capable of complimenting how this defensive unit plays the game. The Panthers made a correct move in this situation.
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The signing of Cortland Finnegan was a surprising move for the Carolina Panthers at this point in the season. Now they have some additional flexibility at a key position in the league’s best defense. This is a move that helps strengthen an already formidable core.