These 2020 Carolina Panthers might not be as bad as we have been told. All offseason, the predictions and projections for this young team ranged from bad to worst-in-the-NFL. While there are many areas that they can improve on, overall this group has been more competitive than most people were expecting going into this season.
Carolina lost its first two games of the year against the Raiders and Buccaneers. Both contests were winnable, though. The Panthers earned their first win of the season on Sunday against the Chargers, improving their record to 1-2. They also made a jump in Touchdown Wire’s power rankings, rising from No. 24 to No. 20. Here’s what Doug Farrar had to say about their upset victory in Inglewood.
“Sunday was a good day for Panthers head coach Matt Rhule, who got his first NFL win with a 21-16 victory over the Chargers. And they did it without running back Christian McCaffrey, who will be out 4-6 weeks with an ankle injury. The Panthers were able to do this in part by doing what they most decidedly did not do in their two losses — provide a consistent pass rush. Justin Herbert was sacked twice and hit eight times. Those two sacks marked the first of the season for Carolina, and while they’re still at the bottom of the NFL in sacks, total pressures, and quarterback knockdowns, Sunday was a step in the right direction.”
That it was.
If they’re going to keep building momentum, the Panthers will need to have better luck in the health department. This week, the team’s best playmaker (Christian McCaffrey) and two of its top four linemen (Kawann Short and Russell Okung) all sat out due to injuries. No matter what else is going on with the roster, Carolina can’t afford to lose multiple starters in the trenches for any significant length of time.
Next up, they’ll host Kyler Murray and the Cardinals. Once again they’re the underdogs.
