3 winners (and 4 losers) from Carolina Panthers' loss vs. Chargers in Week 2
By Dean Jones
Winner No. 1
Chuba Hubbard - Carolina Panthers RB
Finding positives was a tricky task following another inept showing overall from the Carolina Panthers. One of the brightest spots came courtesy of Chuba Hubbard, who gained significant yards on the ground despite not being the focal point offensively.
Dave Canales outlined his desire to become a run-first offense in Year 1 of his head coaching tenure. The game got away from Carolina quickly once again, leaving Hubbard with just 10 carries on the ground. He managed 67 rushing yards, which is a decent tally, but the Panthers didn't utilize him nearly enough.
The Panthers need to keep feeding Hubbard. Bryce Young is under immense strain after another disastrous outing from the much-maligned quarterback. Leaning on the former fourth-round selection and Miles Sanders, to a lesser extent, is essential heading into a difficult-looking set of games.
Hubbard's got the talent, he's proven that already. Riding his coat-tails until rookie second-rounder Jonathon Brooks is available to contribute should form the core component of Carolina's offensive strategy. Especially considering Young's dwindling confidence with the spotlight glaring.
Loser No. 2
Xavier Legette - Carolina Panthers WR
The Panthers traded up to secure the services of Xavier Legette at No. 32 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft. They thought his unique blend of size and speed could provide this offense with something different. After a decent showing in limited involvement at the New Orleans Saints, the wide receiver was almost an innocent bystander in Week 2.
Carolina couldn't - or didn't want to - involve Legette heavily. He wasn't targeted throughout the clash, which is surprising when one considers his ability to generate yards after the catch from short completions. Dave Canales didn't strategize effectively enough yet again. The former South Carolina standout suffered more than most on his home regular-season debut.
Legette needs to be more involved, rookie or not. He's one of the few players with the dynamic traits needed to make things happen by himself. Canales is supposed to be a progressive offensive-minded head coach, so for the first-year pro to be so uninvolved is inexcusable.
Hopefully, things will get better and Legette can benefit from extended involvement moving forward. Anything less would be coaching malpractice considering how highly they thought of the wideout during their pre-draft assessments.