4 positives from the Panthers’ Week 1 loss to the Raiders
By Dean Jones
The Carolina Panthers might have fallen to a 34-30 loss at home to the Las Vegas Raiders. But there were plenty of positives to take from the game.
All hope is not lost for the Carolina Panthers despite their Week 1 defeat to the Las Vegas Raiders.
One needs to look at the current situation with a sense of perspective. This has been an offseason of great change across all areas of the Carolina Panthers that saw them go into their 2020 season opener with a brand-new roster and a coaching staff that hadn’t called an NFL game before.
Their inability to participate in any preseason games was another impactful element to the preparation period that shouldn’t be overlooked. Many thought that not building chemistry in a competitive setting before Week 1 might complicate matters early on and it proved to be the case.
The result didn’t go their Panthers’ way and it is a missed opportunity. But there are plenty of solid takes that new head coach Matt Rhule can get from their first outing in an environment such as this.
This is a season that is going to be littered with twists and turns for the franchise. Nothing much is expected in the way of a postseason berth or even a winning record in 2020. And this is down to the fact that the Panthers are going to be learning as they go on all fronts.
Things will not get any easier against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers next weekend during what will be Tom Brady’s home debut. The legendary quarterback struggled in his first outing at the New Orleans Saints. But he has the potential to bounce back thanks to the exceptional weapons at his disposal.
It was probably hard to see at the time. But here are four positives that Carolina can take from Sunday’s reverse.