What were some critical observations from another poor result for the Carolina Panthers in Week 2 against the New Orleans Saints?
The Carolina Panthers entered Monday night's game with a 0-1 record. Thanks to an additional day of preparation, there were high expectations for much-needed improvement.
As the Panthers headed into their second week of the season against the New Orleans Saints, they were well aware of the adjustments they needed to make. Their main focus was on protecting the football, preventing deep plays by the opposing team, putting a stop to the run, and establishing a clear team identity. These were all crucial areas that required attention if Frank Reich's men wanted to achieve success on the field.
Like Week 1, the Panthers defeated themselves with penalties and failed to capitalize on defensive stops. The Saints could not reach the end-zone until late into the third quarter, giving Carolina plenty of opportunities to make the opposition uncomfortable - something you must do at home.
The Panthers have had a rough start to the 2023 campaign, losing their first two games and falling two contests behind in the division standings. With a demanding series of games ahead, they must bounce back sooner rather than later.
Before we dive into that, let's examine some key takeaways from their Week 2 game against the Saints.
Carolina Panthers QB Bryce Young has to keep improving
Bryce Young bears a heavy burden as the Carolina Panthers traded away a significant portion of their future for him. Consequently, fans tend to criticize the quarterback more after every game.
It's natural for any rookie quarterback to have room for improvement. We should not write him off after his second NFL game.
Young demonstrated glimpses of his potential, using his footwork, making pre-snap adjustments, and fitting in some tight window throws that we didn't see in Week 1. Even if the eventual result was the same.
The former Alabama star completed 22 of 33 passes for 153 yards, with a passer rating of 87.1. He threw one touchdown and ran twice for a total of 34 rushing yards.
During the game, Young showed his leadership skills by inspiring a successful two-minute drive, resulting in a touchdown. He remained cool and calm under pressure - traits the signal-caller displayed heavily in college.
Although Young has great potential, some limitations still prevent him from having a defining "I'm here" moment. However, with time and experience, he will surely break through these restraints.
Frank Reich should hand over Carolina Panthers play-calling duties
Since the Carolina Panthers' first preseason loss to the New York Jets, head coach Frank Reich has referred to the offensive game plan as vanilla. They have been cautious not to reveal too much before the real action arrived.
However, the offense has had no significant changes since then. This can be frustrating as we were promised more but have not seen any results.
In the inaugural week of the season, the team's offense accumulated a total of 281 yards. However, despite their efforts, they could only successfully score 10 points.
Additionally, they struggled on third-down opportunities, only managing to convert five out of 14 attempts. Furthermore, the Panthers could not convert on both of their fourth down attempts, resulting in missed opportunities for additional points.
In the second week, Reich's strategy avoided the running game, which was puzzling since it was very effective in Week 1. This could have helped the Panthers, who faced a lot of man-to-man defense, especially since the wide receivers lacked separation.
Unfortunately, Carolina's yardage decreased, gaining only 231 yards and converting only four out of 14 third-down attempts. The game remained tied at 6-6 for almost the entire duration, and it was disappointing that Carolina couldn't take advantage of their defensive stops and good field position.
Reich mentioned feeling comfortable with his playcalling after the game. But one must wonder how different the offense would look under newly hired offensive coordinator Thomas Brown.
Carolina Panthers defense stepped up again
Prior to the game, the Carolina Panthers had already been faced with multiple injuries, which ultimately affected their defense in a significant way. Unfortunately, Jaycee Horn's ankle injury led to his placement on the injured/reserve list and it remains to be seen when he'll be seen again.
Leader Shaq Thompson also suffered a serious injury during the game after Trevor Penning landed on him. These injuries were undoubtedly a setback, but they persevered despite their challenges.
The Carolina team put on a solid defensive performance against the New Orleans Saints. They had a great pass rush, sacking Derek Carr four times and making six quarterback hits. The Panthers even caused the signal-caller to throw an interception to the newly acquired Vonn Bell.
Overall, they limited New Orleans' deep plays except for two - a deep ball to Chris Olave, who made an impressive catch, and a deep ball to Rashid Shaheed, where Donte let the speedster slip behind him.
Kamu Grugier-Hill stepped up to replace Thompson in the game and performed well. His contribution was crucial as the team could have struggled without their defensive leader, finishing with six tackles and a sack.
Frankie Luvu had a massive performance with nine tackles and two sacks. As the offense searches for their identity, the defense must continue its good play.
Carolina Panthers OL looked disjointed
The Carolina Panthers have been hit hard by injuries. As mentioned, the defense has been affected, but the offense has also suffered. One of their guards, Brady Christensen, will be out for the rest of the year, while Austin Corbett is still absent. At the same time, Taylor Moton is fighting through a bicep injury.
During the match, the offensive line had a hard time, allowing four sacks and seven hits on the quarterback. Due to constant pressure, Bryce Young had to be flushed out of the pocket.
Even when the New Orleans Saints only rushed four players and dropped seven back in coverage, the Panthers' protection still found life difficult. Overall, it was a disappointing performance in the trenches for Carolina.
The Panthers didn't rely heavily on their running game. Despite this, they could only gain 100 yards through rushing, with Young contributing 34 of these through scrambling opportunities.
Hopefully, the offensive line can gain some confidence in the coming weeks and continue to improve until Corbett returns. However, I feel like I'm repeating myself by saying this.
The Panthers had a tough Week 2 and didn't achieve the results they were hoping for. However, it's important to remember that a 0-2 start doesn't define the entire season.
Some areas still need improvement, but I suggest not losing faith in the team. There's still a lot of games left to play.