What were the silver linings to take from another poor loss for the Carolina Panthers in Week 2 against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium?
New year, same results for the Carolina Panthers. There is lots of youth and potential on every level of the ball and they still cannot find a way to win the close games.
When Matt Rhule arrived the roster was in full rebuild mode and yet the Panthers were competitive. Two years later, they are in the same sinking boat.
With the roster in a much better place, Rhule has the guys he wants and preferred coaches appointed this offseason. There are no excuses for an 0-2 start given the standard of opposition before things get tougher over the next five weeks.
One could make a strong case for the Panthers regressing by the year under Rhule. Sunday’s loss at the New York Giants was another nail in the coffin, but there were some slight positives to take from the contest.
With this in mind, here are four silver linings the Panthers can take from Week 2.
Silver Lining No. 1
Carolina Panthers’ run defense improved
Phil Snow and the defensive staff put together a great plan for stopping Saquon Barkley and the players executed it effectively. The Carolina Panthers restricted the Penn State product until late, holding him to just 72 rushing yards on 21 carries with most of these coming in the second half.
This is a positive takeaway for a defense that’s been struggling against the run since Snow took over as defensive coordinator. Although losing so much ground late in proceedings was disappointing, it’s something they can build on overall.