Predicting the Carolina Panthers' next four games after 1-2 start in 2024

The Carolina Panthers are up and running in 2024.

Dave Canales got the best response imaginable from his players in Week 3 at the Las Vegas Raiders, who turned on the style to finally play the kind of football he envisaged upon taking the head coaching job. There was a notable sense of purpose and urgency. They were fundamentally sound. The offensive improvements with Andy Dalton under center were immediate and prolonged throughout the contest.

This was an incredible positive at a time when morale was lower than ever. Canales knows that the hard work is just getting started and one win won't change much if his squad cannot build momentum. That's the next challenge - made more difficult without the injured veteran pair of Adam Thielen and Jordan Fuller - but not impossible by any stretch of the imagination.

Canales knows this is a gradual process. He also knows that Bryce Young was the issue rather than anything underlying. That's not ideal considering the investment made in the signal-caller, but the crystal clear clarity should be enough for further improvements to arrive.

With this in mind, we took a look at how the Panthers could fare over their next four games after picking up a vital first win of the campaign in Las Vegas.

Predicting the Carolina Panthers' next four games after 1-2 start in 2024

Carolina Panthers vs. Bengals - Week 5

• Date: Sunday, September 29
• Time: 1.00 p.m. ET
• Venue: Bank of America Stadium

Andy Dalton goes up against the team that drafted him at No. 35 overall in the 2011 NFL Draft this weekend. The Cincinnati Bengals come to Bank of America Stadium in desperate need of victory following three straight defeats to begin the campaign. Many thought that would arrive last time out, but they were undone by Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders on Monday Night Football.

Not many teams make the playoffs after starting 0-3. Almost nobody does by opening 0-4. Joe Burrow and his squad will be aiming to avoid this dubious distinction, but the Panthers have nothing to fear looking at how the Bengals performed on primetime.

Their offense is a dangerous operation capable of piling up points when Burrow gets time in the pocket. The matchup between Ja'Marr Chase and Jaycee Horn is something to monitor closely and will play a leading role in the eventual outcome.

• Prediction: Loss (1-3)

Cincinnati's defense is vulnerable, there's no getting away from that. That's where the Panthers could capitalize if Dalton builds on his exceptional first showing. However, the raised urgency from the Bengals' standpoint with their season hanging in the balance might be enough for success when push comes to shove.