5 winners and losers from the Carolina Panthers defeat at Seahawks in Week 3
By Dean Jones
Who were the big winners and losers from another demoralizing defeat for the Carolina Panthers in Week 3 at the Seattle Seahawks?
It's not easy being a Carolina Panthers fan. All the hyperbole and excitement surrounding this team has disintegrated into the usual doom and gloom after just three weeks of the 2023 season - misery that was compounded with another dismal loss at the Seattle Seahawks to extend Frank Reich's losing start to the campaign.
The talk of contending for the NFC South or attaining a playoff berth is long gone. This is a team devoid of confidence and going through some significant injury issues currently, which makes next weekend's home fixture against the Minnesota Vikings a do-or-die situation.
This is all about character. How much pride remains in the Panthers locker room and within the coaching staff brought to the organization at great expense by team owner David Tepper throughout an offseason of vast changes remains to be seen.
With that said, here are five winners and losers from Carolina's loss at the Seahawks in Week 3.
Loser No. 1
Carolina Panthers OL
While it was easy to single someone out, the entire Carolina Panthers offensive line wasn't up to the required standard. Their inept showing centered on a lack of discipline and poor production, with almost no decent running lanes created and suspect pass protection once again.
Fortunately for the Panthers, Andy Dalton's savviness got them off the hook in terms of sacks allowed. But the number of false starts reeked of confidence issues and almost no cohesion whatsoever in such a loud environment.
The offensive line didn't handle things well at all. Austin Corbett and Brady Christensen were sorely missed on the interior, with Ikem Ekwonu's production also coming on for extra scrutiny considering the expectations on his shoulders.