Burning question: can defensive improvement make the Panthers a Super Bowl team?

It's shocking to think that a single player can make so much difference to a team, but the Carolina Panthers leaped from dead last in the league in points scored to 5th - a staggering increase of 30 touchdowns from the previous year. And that was in year one of Cam Newton. What's possible in year two? That depends on the defense. With two key members of the defense - Jon Beason and Thomas Davis - expecting to come back healthy after missing almost all of last season, expectations might be surprisingly high. Said Beason:  "No more playing for winning seasons or playing to make the playoffs or to go deep in the playoffs. The pieces are in place to win the whole thing, and that's really how I feel about it. Anything less than at least an appearance (in the Super Bowl) is a weak year." While a 6-10 finish isn't exactly a record that most teams would be content with, the Carolina Panthers may be one of the few exceptions. After an atrocious 2-14 ca...