It was more of the same for the Carolina Panthers on the road against the Denver Broncos. A promising opening drive materialized into very little. The defense was once again like a leaky tap. Had it not been for a touchdown from rookie undrafted free agent Jalen Coker, they would have lost by 15-plus points for a fourth straight week.
Despite veteran quarterback Andy Dalton seemingly returning to full health after a car accident, head coach Dave Canales stated that Bryce Young would remain the starter, and he hoped the Red Rifle would be able to back him up. Considering he’d been out of the lineup since Week 2, the former Alabama man looked relatively solid on his return to the starting lineup.
Young’s 224 passing yards were the most the Broncos' defense had allowed this season. That was done without his two top receivers, Diontae Johnson and Adam Thielen.
Johnson is no longer around after being traded to the Baltimore Ravens. However, Young has the chance for a big game this weekend as he faces a New Orleans Saints defense that is ranked No. 28 in passing yards allowed per game.
The Panthers could do with a confidence-boosting win. With a trip to Germany on the horizon, Canales would love to head across to Munich 2-7 instead of 1-8. Even so, Carolina could be going against Derek Carr after the veteran signal-caller returned to practice after time out with an oblique injury.
Without further ado, let’s get into four Panthers who could see a reduction in snaps at Bank of America Stadium versus the Saints.
Carolina Panthers who could see reduced playing time in Week 9
Tommy Tremble - Carolina Panthers TE
Rookie tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders was a complete non-factor at the Denver Broncos. Tommy Tremble played 61 percent of the offensive snaps, much higher than the No. 101 overall selection, who came in at 36%.
Despite his elevated role, Tremble didn’t impact the passing game with just two receptions for 13 receiving yards. It was his miscommunication with Bryce Young that led to the Carolina Panthers' first interception of the game. After 110 yards combined in his previous two contests, Sanders had just a solitary reception for seven yards.
It was disappointing to see Canales turn away from Sanders after his growth over the past fortnight. We know who Tremble is now in his fourth year with the team, and it would be little surprise if the player was not re-signed by the Panthers next season. With that in mind, it seems beneficial for the long-term success of the team if the first-year pro is given a bigger role.
Tremble has missed some practice this week with a back issue. If the player isn’t at 100% heading into the divisional matchup with the New Orleans Saints, the head coach may be forced to get Sanders more involved once again, something fans would welcome.