4 Panthers players who disappointed in Week 6 loss vs. the Bears

Stephen Weatherly – Carolina Panthers DE

Give the absence of Kawann Short and Yetur Gross-Matos, the Carolina Panthers needed a big performance from Stephen Weatherly. The free-agent signing has been inconsistent this season following his move from the Minnesota Vikings, and he failed to produce with more responsibility on his shoulders in Week 6.

It has become clear that if the Panthers cannot get pressure from stud defensive end Brian Burns, then they simply don’t get it at all. Weatherly is the primary culprit of not being able to generate problems in the opposition’s backfield and it already looks as if the former seventh-round pick has his work cut out in pursuit of a long-term starting role with the organization.

There is still time for Weatherly to turn things around. But this was not what the team expected from a player who was arguably coming off his best performance of the season in Atlanta.

Gross-Matos is going to be out for another fortnight, at least. So there appears little chance of the Panthers starting anyone else instead of Weatherly.

He did make a good contribution to Carolina’s run support against the Bears which negated this particular threat. But the Panthers were undoubtedly expecting more from someone who performed well as a rotational role behind the Pro Bowl duo of Danielle Hunter and Everson Griffen in Minnesota.