There's no doubting that the 2016 campaign has been disappointing for the Carolina Panthers. On the heels of a 15-1 season in 2015, Cam Newton & company currently sit at 3-6 as we head into the stretch run of the schedule. A path to the playoffs still exists, but Carolina probably can't afford to lose more than one more game moving forward.

Despite the chaos, Newton remains unfazed, and that attitude has spread to his teammates.

ESPN's David Newton recently wrote a great piece on the tenor of the Panthers' locker room, which has been just as festive as it was in 2015. He described the atmosphere on Tuesday as “loud and festive.”

This comes just two days after the Panthers blew a double-digit fourth quarter lead to the Kansas City Chiefs. There's no rest for the weary; on Thursday, they host the New Orleans Saints in a pivotal NFC South matchup.

The reigning MVP has kept his swagger despite the losses. It wasn't always that way, though.

Earlier in the season, David Newton notes that the collective demeanor of the Panthers was toned down quite a bit. After achieving so much success a year ago, the guys didn't know how to handle so much losing.

With their season now on the brink, Newton and fullback Mike Tolbert have demonstrated a loose attitude this week, hoping to capture some of last year's charisma.

When asked about his changing disposition, Newton quipped that Carolina's 3-6 record isn't a true representation of the Panthers' roster:

“We don't let our record dictate who we really are,” Newton said.

Head coach Ron Rivera has welcomed the laid back atmosphere. He especially credits the veteran Tolbert, who's been bumping loud music in the locker room after practice this week:

“A guy like [Tolbert] gets it,” Panthers coach Ron Rivera said. “You can't be uptight. You can't be tense and so wound up that you can't focus, that you're so worried about the next thing going wrong.

“I think that's kind of part of what Mike tries to make sure, that everybody's loose.”