The Panthers lost their first game of the season against the Raiders, 34-30. However, it was a close, competitive contest which was winnable right down until the final minutes. We also saw some encouraging signs from a defense that came into this year projected to be the worst in the NFL.
In the first power rankings of the new season from Doug Farrar at Touchdown Wire, Carolina came in at No. 24 – which is better than we expected. Here’s what Farrar said about this team’s debut.
“The rebuilding Panthers stayed competitive with the Raiders in a 34-30 loss, but one thing they’re going to have to figure out is how to fix a run defense that was the NFL’s worst in 2019. Raiders running back Josh Jacobs riddled Carolina’s fronts for three touchdowns, despite the presence of first-round defensive tackle Derrick Brown.”
The flashes from Brown were arguably the most exciting development from Week 1. He had a tough matchup against Raiders right guard Gabe Jackson, but he overpowered Jackson several times and was disruptive enough to bother Derek Carr on a few passes.
The Panthers also saw some flashes from second-round pick Jeremy Chinn, who started at SAM linebacker finished with eight combined tackles. Only Shaq Thompson (12) totaled more.
On offense, there were some painful long-ball misses from quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, but he was able to hit Robby Anderson on a critical 75-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter. Bridgewater also did a good job taking care of the ball (zero turnovers) and avoiding sacks (one).
That said, there’s a ton of work for this team to do. They couldn’t tackle, couldn’t stop the run, couldn’t rush the passer and dropped too many passes.
Next up, the Panthers visit the Buccaneers in Tampa Bay. They opened as eight-point underdogs.
