CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Roman Harper looked around the Carolina Panthers locker room, trying to figure out which players other than him were a part of a 3-0 start.
“Ed Dickson with Baltimore?’’ he asked.
Wrong.
“Kurt Coleman,’’ he said with a little less confidence.
Wrong.
“Ted Ginn Jr.,’’ he said, a sound of futility in his voice.
Wrong.
“Dude, I have no idea,’’ Harper said.
Harper eventually got two _ defensive tackles Dwan Edwards and Colin Cole. But it’s not an easy question to answer since only six of the 53 players have been on teams that won their first three games.
None has done it with the Panthers, who haven’t begun 3-0 since the 2003 season, which ended with a trip to the Super Bowl.
But this year’s team has a chance to accomplish that. The Panthers are 2-0 heading into Sunday’s NFC South opener against the 0-2 New Orleans Saints.
They had a chance to get to 3-0 last season but fell 37-19 to Pittsburgh that started a skid in which they won only once during a 10-game period.
“It’s something to be said if you start fast, but all 3-0 does is lead you to the goal of 4-0,’’ Harper said. “Our goal at the beginning of the year was not to come out and be 3-0. Our main goal and our main aspirations are to be a championship team. This is just part of the process.’’
Getting to 3-0 would be a strong statistical indicator that the Panthers are a playoff team. Since 1990, 75 percent of the teams that went 3-0 have reached the postseason.
Nobody at Carolina comes close to Harper’s 13-0 start with the 2009 New Orleans Saints. That team went on to win the Super Bowl against Indianapolis.
The only player close to that is cornerback Charles Tillman, who was part of a 7-0 start with the Chicago Bears in 2007.
“Now the 13-0 was impressive,’’ Harper said.
Here’s a complete look at Carolina players who have experienced 3-0:
Colin Cole, DT -- A member of the 2007 Green Bay Packers that started 4-0. The Packers made it to the NFC Championship.
Dwan Edwards, DT – He did it three times, twice as a member of the Baltimore Ravens (2006, 2009) and once with the Buffalo Bills (2011).
Roman Harper, S – He did it three times as a member of the Saints (2006, 2009 and 2013). All three went on to the playoffs.
Charles Tillman, CB -- He did it three times with the Chicago Bears (2006, 2010, 2013). The 2013 team started 3-0 but ended 8-8.
Greg Olsen, TE – He did it once with the Chicago Bears. The 2010 team started 3-0 en route to an 11-5 record, ending with a loss in the NFC Championship.
Michael Oher, LT – He was on the 2009 Ravens who started 4-0 en route to a 9- 7 record.
