While it would be asinine to believe that Dave Canales is on the hot seat after just eight games as Carolina Panthers head coach, it is certainly fair to say that he has questions to answer regarding his play-calling, which has been suboptimal at best so far.
For another week at least, quarterback Bryce Young will be the starter, making his first appearance at Bank of America Stadium since the disastrous Week 2 matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers. However, the head coach's wording indicated that this was a precautionary measure for Andy Dalton rather than true confidence in the former No. 1 pick.
It has been reported the Panthers are gauging trade interest in Young before deciding on his future. So, it’s possible the only reason he is still the starter is to boost his value. After the disappointing return in the Diontae Johnson trade, general manager Dan Morgan must extract maximum compensation for someone they mortgaged the franchise's future for in 2023.
Young has a good opportunity to impress in Week 9. The New Orleans Saints' pass defense is No. 28 in yards per game conceded. They will also be without their top three cornerbacks to further raise encouragement.
With a trip to Germany coming next week, the Panthers would love to make the journey across the Atlantic with a divisional win under their belts and stop a four-game losing run. Whether they can accomplish this or not is another matter.
Without further ado, let’s get into four bold predictions for the Panthers' home game against the Saints.
Bold predictions for the Carolina Panthers in Week 9
Jalen Coker leads Carolina Panthers in receiving yards
One of the finds of this season has been undrafted free agent rookie Jalen Coker. It was an oversight by teams that the wide receiver went unselected in the 2024 NFL Draft. His lack of straight-line speed and the competition faced at Holy Cross led to him making it through the process without his name being called. The Carolina Panthers are the beneficiary.
Despite not making the active roster initially, Coker was elevated from the practice squad following the injury to Adam Thielen and has slowly made his way up the depth chart. This culminated in a career performance against the Denver Broncos as he further enhanced his status as one of the more promising rookie wideouts.
According to Pro Football Focus, Coker is the third-highest-rated rookie receiver behind only Brian Thomas Jr. and Malik Nabers, which is an esteemed company to be in. With Thielen expected to miss the clash once again, the first-year pro will get another opportunity to catch the eye.
With this in mind, Coker is likely to resume his role as one of the starting wide receivers alongside fellow rookie Xavier Legette. It would be little surprise if he once again led the Panthers in receiving and found the end zone for a second straight week.