3 reasons the Carolina Panthers will win at the Raiders in Week 3

Carolina Panthers defense will force Gardner Minshew into mistakes

The Carolina Panthers defense looked horrific to start off the 2024 season against the New Orleans Saints. In Week 2 versus the Los Angeles Chargers, they held their own for the most part. The unit had a couple of calls that didn’t go their way that would have added an extra turnover to their tally. 

Cornerback Jaycee Horn intercepted Justin Herbert in the Chargers' territory to give the offense the ball back in a dangerous position. The Panthers' pass rush also got home on the signal-caller once and forced him to fumble the ball with linebacker Josey Jewell recovering the loose football.

The Panthers' defense may have only had one sack. But they did a better job of getting in the backfield and moving Herbert around.

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Gardner Minshew has thrown the ball a ton in the first two games of the season. The veteran free-agent signing has enough passing yards to rank him at No. 3 in the league with 533 after Aaron Rodgers' performance on Thursday Night Football. He is also currently leading the NFL in completions and completion percentage with 77.5. 

Minshew has turned some heads to start the year, but he also has turned the ball over. The quarterback has thrown two interceptions and fumbled while losing possession once in 2024. He - along with Chicago Bears rookie quarterback Caleb Williams - has been sacked the most times this season with nine. 

Panthers fans know and understand that the defense doesn’t have a good pass rush. But with the number of times Minshew has been sacked, it could be realistic for Carolina to cause havoc at Allegiant Stadium.

If the Panthers can get pressure on Minshew and force him to make mistakes, it could be a day that ends in a victory for Carolina. It could go the other way, but Ejiro Evero will have a plan in place.