Predicting the Carolina Panthers next four games after 1-6 start in 2023

How could the Carolina Panthers fare over their next four games after finally picking up a much-needed first win of the 2023 season?

For a team currently sitting at 1-6 in the standings, there is a decent amount of optimism surrounding the Carolina Panthers right now. Getting an important victory over the Houston Texans was a good place to start, but there is a lot of hard work ahead if Frank Reich's men want to salvage something from the 2023 campaign.

Bryce Young continues to show encouraging growth with every passing week. The offense looked far more effective with Thomas Brown calling plays and the defense seems to be getting some key figures back from injury to further raise confidence.

The Panthers also have some winnable games upcoming on their schedule. Nothing can be taken for granted with one win in seven to show for their efforts so far, but all hope is not lost by any stretch of the imagination.

With this in mind, we took a look at how Carolina might fare over the next four games after a disappointing 1-6 start to the campaign.

Carolina Panthers vs. Colts - Week 9

This one will mean a lot more to Frank Reich, even if he won't say it publicly. The Carolina Panthers take on the Indianapolis Colts this weekend, which is the team that fired him during the 2022 campaign in favor of putting Jeff Saturday at the helm - a man with no NFL coaching experience whatsoever.

That will have stung Reich in the biggest way imaginable. This should also serve as inspiration to his players, so nothing less than maximum effort and improved execution will do.

Prediction: Win (2-6)

If the Panthers managed to perform on defense as they did against the Houston Texans and turn scoring opportunities into points with more frequency, they've got a good chance. The Colts cannot be underestimated, but this seems like an opportunity to keep the momentum going on home turf.