4 bold Carolina Panthers predictions vs. the Chargers in Week 2

Carolina Panthers earn a morale-boosting win

While it may only be Week 2, Carolina Panthers fans must see a response from head coach Dave Canales in his debut regular-season game at Bank of America Stadium. The fact tickets were on sale for horrendously cheap is indicative of feelings toward the franchise currently. Another performance akin to the one they put together at the New Orleans Saints will see disillusion increase further.

It’ll be a tough assignment for Canales when he tests his progressive thinking against one of the most prolific head coaches of the modern era in the NFL or college. Jim Harbaugh is a very well-regarded coach who has had extensive success. His latest example was guiding Michigan to the college football national championship.

After admitting he and his staff were outcoached by Saints' head coach Dennis Allen, improvement is certainly needed. Some soul-searching and finger-pointing no doubt took place during preparations. Hopefully, this rude awakening will have the desired effect.

It seems the weekly meetings with team owner David Tepper are once again the norm for a Panthers head coach based on Canales' comments during his midweek presser. While fans are sick of him meddling in Carolina's football business, it seems that the billionaire is going to be involved whether we like it or not.

For Canales, the best way to ease the tension in these meetings is to win games. The Panthers haven't done much of that since Tepper bought the franchise from Jerry Richardson, so it'd be a refreshing change of pace.

The Panthers are the underdog at home to nobody's surprise. Even the most optimistic of fans would be hard-pressed to argue against this. However, despite the clear weaknesses, this is still a winnable game if Carolina keeps quarterback Justin Herbert in check and slows down the Los Angeles Chargers run game.

This will be key to giving Canales his first win as a head coach. Whether they have enough confidence to match a potential playoff hopeful is another matter.

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