5 burning questions following the Carolina Panthers' blowout in Week 1
By Ricky Raines
Week 1 for the Carolina Panthers is in the books. I wish it wasn’t.
I’d prefer nobody else to know that the game occurred. That was an embarrassing showing from a team, albeit one coming off a 2-15 season, that has presented itself with such vigor and renewed focus. That energy certainly did not translate to game day.
The final count was 47-10. Carolina found themselves trailing 30-3 at half-time. They didn’t just get hit in the mouth and not have a counterattack - after being punched, they proceeded to shoot themselves in the foot.
The first haymaker was a deep touchdown pass from Derek Carr to Rashid Shaheed. Jaycee Horn was the cornerback on the play side, though new starting safety Jordan Fuller said it was his responsibility to cover the deep middle third, as they were in Cover 3 coverage. Regardless, it was a first-round knockdown.
Following that power punch, the offense took over. I don’t know if I can even really call it that. The very first pass attempt from second-year quarterback Bryce Young was caught by the opposition. It was intended for a Panther. The tone was securely set from that moment on.
I won't recap the game with any further detail. If you do, I’ll simply point you to previous articles from our team, because I don’t have it in me to rehash that nightmare again. But hey, you all know the saying - when life gives you lemons, you answer questions about what brought that lemon to life.
With the pleasantries out of the way, let’s get into the questions for the latest edition of the mailbag.
Burning questions Carolina Panthers fans are asking after Week 1 blowout
What’s the point? - Jimmy Pearson
The point is the fattier, thicker portion of a brisket, a popular cut of beef in the world of smoked meats. I enjoy smoking a full-packer brisket, seasoned liberally with Diamond Crystal salt, 16-mesh black pepper, and a kiss of coriander. Smoked at about 250 degrees from a combination of cherry, hickory, and oak woods.
Sorry. I wanted to cut the tension before we got into it. Thanks for the question anyway, Jimmy.