When a franchise goes through years of coaching carousels, roster turnover, and growing pains, finding consistency becomes the top priority. Few teams in the NFL have tested their fan base’s patience over the last few seasons quite like the Carolina Panthers.
But with head coach Dave Canales entering his third season at the helm and quarterback Bryce Young entering a pivotal fourth year, Carolina is aiming to prove that its rebuild is finally over and their playoff appearance from last year was not a fluke.
The Panthers were able to make it to the postseason for the first time since 2017. The team still had a losing record, but their division was one that no one seemed to want to win. The team ended up being 8-9 after Carolina lost their last two games. They lost their first two games of the year, and their last two, and sandwiched a 8-5 record in between. At their best, they were running the ball effectively, and Bryce Young was looking like a reliable quarterback. At their worst, the defense couldn’t get stops when needed, and their offense looked disjointed. The best game they played actually was probably a loss against the Rams in the postseason. They never quit, but the defense just couldn't get the stop that was needed in order to win.
Making it to the postseason was good, but you need to ride that momentum. As mentioned, the defense needed to get some stop, and that usually starts with pressure on the quarterback. To address that need, they signed Jaelan Phillips to the team. The Panthers seem to have focused on their offensive line as well, getting a couple of solid pieces. The most interesting thing is that they really didn’t make a decision on Young. He does have another year, but this might be a make-or-break year for him getting a big deal.
There is reason for tempered optimism when looking at Carolina’s roster makeup. The offense hinges entirely on Young’s development in Canales' system. Jonathon Brooks showed strong promise in the backfield when healthy, bringing a dual-threat capability that opens up the play-action passing game. Though, their best option from last season, Rico Dowdle is now on the Pittsburgh Steelers.
On the outside, Xavier Legette and the receiving corps have had another full offseason to build chemistry with Young, giving Carolina a more vertical threat than they offered two years ago. I still am not high on that portion of the team. On defense, Ejiro Evero’s unit remains scrappy, led by Derrick Brown upfront and Jaycee Horn in the secondary—though depth along the pass rush remains a slight concern if injuries strike.
Books have the Panthers at 7.5 games, and it seems like the right number. Assuming they can split their games with the divisional opponents, they can get three wins there. The problem is they have a playoff team’s schedule, so there are some tough opponents on the schedule. The Ravens, Vikings, Bears, Broncos, Bengals, Seahawks, and even the Steelers should be tough outings for them.
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I really don’t have a play on them for the season. It is going to hinge on Bryce Young, so if you believe in him, take the over. If you don’t, take the under. Young is listed at 20.5 touchdowns, and with another year under Canales and some consistency with his receivers, I think he can average one per game, plus a few where he hits two. Getting over 20.5 should be a winner.
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