5 Carolina Panthers who cannot afford to regress in Week 2 vs. Chargers
By Dean Jones
Nobody expected the Carolina Panthers to get bulldozed in such a demoralizing manner. Positivity was high following the offseason. Fans came into the campaign with cautious optimism. This was obliterated within the first half as the New Orleans Saints put their regular-season opener out of sight.
It never rains, but rather pours for the Panthers. If their loss wasn't bad enough, they'll also be without stud defensive lineman Derrick Brown for their remaining 16 contests due to a knee injury. He's one of their few irreplaceable players. His loss had some fans examining draft picks ahead of the 2025 process, ready to write this campaign off after just one encounter.
The Panthers have to roll up their sleeves and show some pride. They will suffer the same fate if Carolina isn't up for the challenge this weekend versus the Los Angeles Chargers. Jim Harbaugh's teams are physical, well-drilled, and execute their assignments with supreme conviction. That cannot be said of Dave Canales' men right now, so huge adjustments are needed ahead of the home curtain-raiser.
With this in mind, here are five Panthers players who cannot afford to regress in Week 2 at Bank of America Stadium.
Carolina Panthers players who cannot afford to regress in Week 2
Eddy Pineiro - Carolina Panthers K
Opportunities weren't frequent for Eddy Pineiro in Week 1. The kicker got just two chances to put points on the board, making his only field goal from 43 yards and an extra point as the Carolina Panthers were mauled by the New Orleans Saints.
That was a small positive for Pineiro if nothing else. Whether the score will be any closer against the Los Angeles Chargers is anyone's guess, but he will be kicking outdoors rather than in the comfort of a dome. This brought less consistency from the former Florida star last season. He'll be eager not to make this an ongoing trend after fighting to retain his starting job over the offseason.
The Panthers can't be any worse than last week, so it would be a surprise didn't get a few more opportunities to keep the scoreboard ticking over. Carolina has a lorry-load of problems elsewhere. They cannot afford to have Pineiro also fluff his lines in pursuit of progression.
Pineiro wants a new deal from the Panthers either before or during the campaign. Getting off to a hot start on home soil will enhance his hopes considerably.