5 things the Carolina Panthers must learn from Week 2 loss vs. Saints
By Ricky Raines
Two weeks in, two checks in the loss column. What must the Carolina Panthers learn from their performance against the New Orleans Saints in Week 2?
The Carolina Panthers had their first taste of primetime football in the Bryce Young era, hosting the division rival New Orleans Saints on Monday night. It didn’t go swimmingly.
The good guys were force-fed another loss and did little to console the enraged mob of fans after losing to Desmond Ridder and the Atlanta Falcons eight days prior.
That last component is a silly one, in my opinion. Being so hot under the collar after just two games into a 17-game season doesn’t connect all the way with me. It’s part of what comes with the territory, I suppose.
Adding to the woes of Panthers fans, every other team in the NFC South have begun their season with a 2-0 record. Carolina is behind the eight ball, so to speak, as far as keeping pace early on. The hits didn’t stop there.
After being snake bitten by injuries in the season opener, the serpent followed the team to Carolina. Long-time linebacker and captain Shaq Thompson suffered a broken fibula and will miss the remainder of the season.
Brian Burns also limped out of this one, having sustained a reported ankle injury. In a bit of a surprise – Bryce Young was listed as DNP in Wednesday’s walkthrough practice with an ankle injury as well, and head coach Frank Reich was noncommittal on his status for Sunday at the Seattle Seahawks
Young didn’t have a breakout performance, as most had hoped, but it wasn’t all bad nor was it all on him. The rookie quarterback improved upon nearly every individual statistic - passing yards, rushing yards, completion percentage - and he eliminated the interceptions.
However, he did fumble once while being taken down for one of four sacks on the night.
Young will keep at it – chugging along, absorbing everything through his transition into the NFL – and the team will look to learn from each stop along the way, as well. Here are the five things the Panthers must learn from Week 2.