5 Carolina Panthers on the hot seat entering Week 6 vs. the Falcons

Brady Christensen - Carolina Panthers OL

The Carolina Panthers will be without the services of Austin Corbett for their remaining regular-season engagements. He suffered a torn bicep in Week 5 against the Chicago Bears that will require surgery. This is the latest in a long line of devastating blows for the franchise. It might also be the last fans have seen of the former second-round selection given he's out of contract next spring.

Carolina will move forward with Brady Christensen as the team's offensive line anchor moving forward. The BYU product ironically went down with the same injury last season after just one game. He lost his starting left guard spot to Damien Lewis, making him a versatile swing option across the protection in a contract year.

Christensen is being thrown into the fire without much legitimate experience at the center position. The Panthers don't have much choice after ignoring the spot during the offseason. A huge effort is needed given the Atlanta Falcons will likely target him as a weak link right from the outset.

It's a gamble that could go either way. Having Lewis and Robert Hunt alongside Christensen on the interior should help, but that won't matter if his pre-snap communication and overall performance levels aren't up to the required standard.

A'Shawn Robinson - Carolina Panthers DL

The Panthers didn't invest much into their defense throughout the offseason. Dan Morgan opted to focus his significant resources on the offensive side of things in pursuit of getting a genuine evaluation of quarterback Bryce Young. He also allowed Ejiro Evero to find players he's worked with previously to fill some gaping voids.

A'Shawn Robinson was an intriguing arrival to the defensive front. His stout run-stopping prowess coupled with his physically imposing demeanor looked set to provide a level of nastiness and consistency opposite Derrick Brown that was sorely lacking last time around. This hasn't materialized as yet.

Brown's absence through injury is having a ripple effect across the defense. Opposing protection schemes can focus on stopping the likes of Robinson and Jadeveon Clowney with almost no threat from elsewhere. Perhaps the most concerning element is the former Alabama star's inability to become the space-hogging menace that clogs up rushing lanes.

Carolina's run defense has been abysmal once again in 2024. That wasn't what anyone anticipated when Robinson joined the ranks, so a big performance is needed in Week 6 despite the veteran dealing with some ankle soreness currently.