Predicting the Carolina Panthers' next four games after 1-3 start in 2024
By Dean Jones
Dave Canales has seen improvements in his squad of late. It's got nothing more than a 1-3 record to show from the opening four games, so the campaign is hanging in the balance with a quarter of the season in the books.
The Carolina Panthers were dealt more bad news this week with veteran linebacker Shaq Thompson suffering a torn Achilles in Week 4, sending him to season-ending injured reserve. This is the second straight campaign where the former first-round selection has been dealt an early exit, but he's already made his intentions clear about returning to the gridiron. Whether that'll be with the team that drafted him is anyone's guess.
Canales won't be worrying about that right now. His focus will be on trying to salvage something from what looks to be an already lost season. Nobody was expecting miracles in Year 1 of his tenure, but building some momentum to prove he's the right guy is crucial.
With this in mind, we took a look at how the Panthers might fare over their next four games following a 1-3 start to the 2024 season.
Predicting the Carolina Panthers' next four games after 1-3 start in 2024
Carolina Panthers at Bears - Week 5
- Date: Sunday, October 6
- Time: 1.00 p.m. ET
- Venue: Soldier Field
There will be a lot of fan pride at stake when the Carolina Panthers travel to the Chicago Bears in Week 5. The team's long-suffering supporters have been ridiculed across social media for their trade with the NFC North squad that enabled them to take Bryce Young at No. 1 overall in the 2023 NFL Draft. That's not looking too great right now, but there's still time for that to change despite his benching.
The Panthers have nothing to fear versus the Bears. They're making gradual progress with Dave Canales leading the charge. If the struggling team can somehow find a way to dig deep and pull off another memorable road triumph, it could be the catalyst behind better fortunes.
That won't be easy, especially on defense without Derrick Brown, Shaq Thompson, and Josey Jewell. Finding a way to pressure and confuse rookie quarterback Caleb Williams is key. If Ejiro Evero can do that, the Panthers aren't without a chance.
- Prediction: Panthers win (2-3)
This might be erring on the side of optimism, especially in such a hostile atmosphere and with a newfound connection between the two clubs making this an overlooked rivalry among the fanbase. However, if the Panthers continue to play fundamentally sound football on offense and find a way to improve defensively, don't rule out a win.