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CHARLOTTE -- The Panthers have won four of their last five games. That has some wishing Carolina could keep playing and others looking to fast-forward to next season and a clean slate.

The Panthers may be 6-9 entering Sunday's season finale at New Orleans, but one thing is certain -- there's plenty of optimism for the future.

The team is buoyed by the thought of what sensational rookie quarterback Cam Newton might accomplish with a full offseason to work with coaches. What's more, 16 players are coming off injuries and the bulk of the roster is under contract.

"I don't think there's any question, everyone in this locker room is excited about next year," tight end Greg Olsen said.

Coach Ron Rivera said he was talking with his coaches this week about how nice it would be if this were a 20-game season given the momentum the team has built the last month.

"If we had just had a few more weeks, who knows?" Rivera said. "I wish we had a few more just to see, just to see if we've reached that point where we've matured enough."

Newton, a leading candidate for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year with 34 total touchdowns and a first alternate for the Pro Bowl, said he "absolutely" wishes the Panthers could keep playing. He sees a completely different team now from the one earlier in the season.

Olsen said beating the Saints would be a huge confidence boost.

"The way these last four or five weeks have gone there's just a real positive feeling heading into next year," Olsen said. "I think if you finish the season strong it gives a different kind of feel to the offseason program, a different sense of energy to the offseason."