Dave Canales is looking for his Carolina Panthers squad to impose themselves immediately this season. The head coach is tired of this franchise being tabbed among the bottom-feeders. His quest to turn the tide starts in Week 1 against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
It's a genuine pick 'em game, which is reflected by sportsbooks across the country. However, one NFL analyst put together a dream scenario for Canales and Carolina's long-suffering fan base at EverBank Stadium.
The Jaguars won't be a pushover by any stretch of the imagination. They have gifted playmakers on both sides of the football. They have the energy of a new head coach embarking on his NFL debut. They also have an under-pressure quarterback in Trevor Lawrence, who's expected to make significant strides this season under the guidance of Liam Coen.
Carolina Panthers tipped to stun Jaguars on the road in Week 1
This will be a challenge, but the Panthers have nothing to fear. Russell Baxter from NFL Spin Zone agrees, and he's tipping Carolina for a memorable road victory to get their campaign off on the best possible footing.
"The Carolina Panthers are in the midst of a rough stretch which has seen them post seven straight losing campaigns dating back to 2018. The franchise has also dropped their last three games in Week 1, including last year’s ugly 47-10 setback at New Orleans, and own a dismal 11-19 lifetime mark on opening weekend. On Sunday, Dave Canales’s club will be in Jacksonville facing a team that finished with a worse record than they did a season ago. Carolina quarterback Bryce Young finished strong in 2024 and that momentum carries over despite the Panthers’ combined 2-15 road record the past two seasons."Russell Baxter
This would be a dream start. The Panthers want to be more competitive and prove they aren't the downtrodden walkover of years past. If they can emerge victorious at the scene of David Tepper's infamous drink-throwing incident, there will be no better way to prove that the trajectory is pointing up.
Week 1 games are notoriously difficult to predict. Teams are still finding their groove, and the fact that so many established veterans skip the preseason entirely leads to poor execution compared to later in the campaign. But for the Panthers, the performance doesn't matter. It's all about the result.
Winning cures everything. Winning silences doubts and brushes flaws under the carpet. And after Canales' bullish claims heading into the campaign, the Panthers must now let their football do the talking.
It could go either way, but the Panthers aren't without a chance.