4 things we learned from Panthers’ stunning Week 3 victory

The Carolina Panthers need to get better on third down

If the Carolina Panthers somehow managed to throw this game away, then questions would have been asked about their lack of ability to convert on third downs.

This was an area where they struggled throughout but became more prevalent in the second half once things got a little tense for all concerned. Offensive coordinator Joe Brady made some strange calls that gave the Panthers little chance of moving the chains and thankfully, this didn’t have an impact on the overall result.

Carolina was 3-12 in third-down efficiency, which is something that isn’t going to win you many ball games. Their defense managed to get them out of this slump with some much-improved production, but their lack of consistency prior to Sunday’s win at the Chargers means that a solution must be found to improve their chances.

Teddy Bridgewater didn’t get much time in the pocket once Joey Bosa moved over to the right defensive end spot. The All-Pro was too much for Greg Little and Trent Scott and this only complicated the Panthers’ chances of getting the necessary yards to keep certain drives going.

Brady came into the NFL with a glowing reputation after masterminding LSU’s historic passing attack to a National Championship in 2019. His start to life at the professional level has been a mixture of good and bad. But there is enough talent available at his disposal for them to become potent once all the kinks are worked out.