4 burning questions the Panthers must answer ahead of Week 6

Is Carolina Panthers QB Sam Darnold the answer?

Things looked so promising for Sam Darnold following the first three games. The quarterback looked poised under pressure, was making the correct decisions more often than not, and had many believing he could be the long-term answer at the position for the Carolina Panthers.

Just two weeks later, and the narrative seems to be shifting.

After throwing just one interception through Week 3, the signal-caller has given up five picks over the last two contests. Darnold was responsible for three takeaways against the Philadelphia Eagles and although his offensive line is a dumpster fire, the former USC star also needs to be held accountable for his errors.

Simply put, Darnold has a processing problem.

This was the case even when he played for the New York Jets. Not having the necessary confidence in the protection is causing the player to panic in the pocket and mistakes and coming at a rapid rate.

It’s not just the interceptions.

It’s missing open receivers, holding on to the football too long, and failing to move off his first read quickly.

Giving up on Darnold at this stage is foolish. He was always going to be a work in progress, something that most teams simply don’t have time for in today’s NFL.

The talent is there, even if the mechanics need brushing up. Darnold has much work ahead of him if he wants to convince people he’s worthy of filling the position beyond 2022, so it’ll be interesting to see how the player responds to yet more adversity in the coming weeks.