5 critical observations from Carolina Panthers 2022 schedule release
By Dean Jones
Late bye week experience can help the Carolina Panthers
Even though the Carolina Panthers were probably hoping for a little more balance to the 2022 season, they now have the added experience of coping with late bye weeks and will need to do so again.
The schedule release revealed that the Panthers will have to wait until Week 13 before their period of rest. This is the exact same timeframe that Matt Rhule has had during his previous two seasons at the helm and things have not gone well at all upon returning from their time away from the gridiron.
In a weird way, this will help those who’ve already been around the setup and experienced it. How to prepare and maintain physical conditioning, managing injuries and knocks, as well as game-week preparation, are all things that Carolina should know how to do effectively.
Continuity is key throughout the NFL. And the onus will be on prominent locker room leaders such as Shaq Thompson to keep everyone motivated and on the right track.
Even though the Panthers have coped with this in 2020 and 2021, it’s not ideal and will be a long slog to the bye. But if the team is still lingering in playoff or divisional title contention by this point, it would be nothing short of sensational.