5 Carolina Panthers players on the hot seat entering Week 12 vs. Chiefs

Dane Jackson - Carolina Panthers CB

Dane Jackson's been a curious case since his return to the lineup. General manager Dan Morgan thinks a lot of the player, but he's finding life difficult integrating into defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero's system after missing a large part of the season with a hamstring issue.

The Carolina Panthers have Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson Sr. locked in as their starting outside cornerback tandem. However, the former seventh-round selection could have a big role to play this weekend against the Kansas City Chiefs.

If the Panthers deploy Jackson from the slot, he could be up against prolific All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce early and often. The future Pro Football Hall of Famer is having a down year by his typically high standards, but he's still got the capabilities to take over a game when firing on all cylinders.

This is a challenge Jackson must be ready for. He cannot let Kelce build up some momentum when tasked with covering him. The defensive back also needs to make his tackles count in run support with more efficiency than he has been of late.

Bryce Young - Carolina Panthers QB

Bryce Young is doing enough to make Dave Canales' decision easy. For now, at least.

The quarterback looks more the part than at any stage throughout his professional career so far since his return to the starting lineup. Young's confidence is growing and he's executing the game plan effectively while protecting the football. That's a far cry from how the former No. 1 pick looked earlier in the campaign.

Belief in the locker room is growing, although Canales is keeping his status a week-to-week deal rather than making him the starter for Carolina's remaining fixtures. Young will be under center in Week 12 - something he richly deserves. However, the opposition level is about to rise exponentially.

The Chiefs' defense is a formidable adversary. They are stout against the run and Steve Spagnuolo has a plethora of exotic blitz packages to confuse. Young's played well up to now. He needs to take it up another notch in this one.

If Young can hold his own and keep the Panthers competitive versus the defending Super Bowl champions, that should put Andy Dalton on the bench for another week if not longer.

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