Dave Canales has his back firmly against the wall just six weeks into his head coaching tenure. The Carolina Panthers are 1-5 with little hope of salvaging a winning record from the campaign. Any offseason optimism was extinguished early on, replaced with more uncertainty and disillusion - something that's become synonymous with the organization since David Tepper assumed ownership.
The Panthers were more competitive against the Atlanta Falcons before mistakes and coaching decisions cost them. Carolina's defense cannot stop anybody right now. Their offense isn't good enough to compensate for these failings. It's no wonder why some fans are already looking towards the 2025 offseason - the second under general manager Dan Morgan.
There is a small matter of 11 contests left before that happens. How many wins the Panthers get looking at the current state of affairs is anyone's guess. However, Canales must find a way to galvanize his troops and ensure his squad has some positive elements to take from what appears to be another lost season.
With this in mind, we took a look at how the Panthers could fare over their next four games following a 1-5 start.
Predicting the Carolina Panthers' next four games after 1-5 start in 2024
Carolina Panthers at Commanders - Week 7
- Date: Sunday, October 20
- Time: 4.05 p.m. ET
- Venue: Northwest Stadium
There is no respite for the Carolina Panthers this weekend. Next up is a trip to the Washington Commanders, who've made remarkable strides in a short space of time following wholesale changes across the football operation this offseason.
Dan Quinn looks like the right guy to lead this ambitious project. General manager Adam Peters' roster revamp is having the desired effect. The Commanders also have a franchise quarterback in No. 2 pick Jayden Daniels, who's been nothing short of sensational through six weeks of the campaign.
This is a daunting challenge for Ejiro Evero's defense. Carolina's must turn this into a shootout to stand any chance of success. There is a glimmer of hope, which stems from Washington's indifferent secondary and stud defensive tackle Jonathan Allen's torn pectoral suffered in Week 6.
- Prediction: Panthers loss (1-6)
Daniels has been bullet-proof so far, going toe-to-toe with some of the league's best quarterbacks and coming out on top more often than not. Couple this with the newfound positivity giving the Commanders home-field advantage for the first time in years, it's hard to predict anything other than a Panthers loss right now.
Carolina Panthers at Broncos - Week 8
- Date: Sunday, October 27
- Time: 4.25 p.m. ET
- Venue: Empower Field at Mile High
The Denver Broncos are a tough evaluation right now. They are amid the expected rollercoaster that typically comes with starting rookie quarterbacks in Year 1 of their professional careers. There are times when former Oregon standout Box Nix looks like a world-beater. There are others when it seems unfathomable Sean Payton spent a first-round pick on him.
A happy medium will be reached at some stage with Nix. He's got some nice intangibles and should reduce his mental errors with more experience in an NFL setting. Until then, the Broncos will be erratic within a division that doesn't look particularly strong aside from the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs.
This is a different challenge entirely for the Carolina Panthers. It's another potentially imposing defense to counteract. There's also the altitude element that can be a team's undoing if they aren't sufficiently prepared.
Ejiro Evero's role will be pivotal in this one. Carolina's defensive coordinator knows some of the Broncos' personnel well from his one season in Denver. There are plenty of new faces, but the coach should have a good indicator of how his unit can contain the Broncos. Whether they've got the talent or not is another matter.
Payton was a long-time thorn in Carolina's side when he held absolute power with the New Orleans Saints. The Broncos are nowhere near that level just yet, but they'll feel confident about getting one over on the Panthers if all their big guns are fit and firing on all cylinders.
- Prediction: Panthers loss (1-7)
There are too many things working against Carolina to feel confident about attaining a notable win in Denver. But if they can force Nix into some early errors and get him thinking twice about dishing the football downfield, the Panthers aren't without a slight chance despite the obvious obstacles in front of them.
Carolina Panthers vs. Saints - Week 9
- Date: Sunday, November 3
- Time: 1.00 p.m. ET
- Venue: Bank of America Stadium
This is the last game before Dan Morgan has to take stock of how things look and what he can potentially do to improve the team's long-term outlook.
The 2024 trade deadline is on November 5 this year. It doesn't seem like the Carolina Panthers will be too active in terms of incomings in their current state. It'll be more a case of potentially cashing in on assets that aren't part of the franchise's future.
Before then, the Panthers welcome an old foe to Bank of America Stadium. The New Orleans Saints easily disposed of Carolina in Dave Canales' first regular-season contest in charge. Things haven't gone nearly as well after that, with Dennis Allen's men at 2-4 and coming off a loss where they shipped 51 points at home to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Panthers aren't exactly in a position to be taking any team for granted. They've lost 20 of their last 23 games dating back to last season. Canales' men are rooted among the bottom-feeders once again, so nothing but improved execution and displaying some fight in the face of adversity will do to turn this ship around.
Derek Carr's status for the contest remains in doubt. There are a couple of weeks before things get confirmed one way or another, but the Panthers' chances of winning increase exponentially if the veteran signal-caller cannot participate due to an oblique issue.
Stopping running back Alvin Kamara is a different matter. The player ran riot over the Panthers in their first outing, accumulating 110 all-purpose yards and a touchdown in Week 1. Ejiro Evero must have a better plan to limit his influence, which will be difficult without Pro Bowl defensive lineman Derrick Brown and veteran linebacker Shaq Thompson.
- Prediction: Panthers win (2-7)
Perhaps this is blind optimism and nothing more. The Panthers have a shot. Stopping Kamara is key, but it doesn't seem like the Saints are going to accomplish much this season either after losing their last four.
Carolina Panthers vs. NY Giants - Week 10
- Date: Sunday, November 10
- Time: 9.30 a.m. ET
- Venue: Allianz Arena (Munich, Germany)
An international game awaits the Carolina Panthers in the final outing before their bye week. Dave Canales' men travel to Germany for a contest against the New York Giants, which will involve different planning to cope with the various factors involved with playing abroad.
This is something the Panthers should be looking forward to. It's a chance to embrace something different and put on a show for the international audience. It's also the only time this season when they'll have the NFL world's undivided attention with no primetime games to speak of. While this might be at 9.30 a.m. Eastern Time, the point stands.
The hype before the clash will likely surround Brian Burns. Carolina traded the explosive edge rusher to the Giants this offseason after the previous regime mismanaged his contract situation horribly. The relationship was fractured beyond repair, leaving general manager Dan Morgan with no option other than to take the best offer available.
Burns will be out for revenge against his old employers. Carolina's offensive line is much improved, but finding a way to thwart the supreme threat posed by Dexter Lawrence II is arguably more important.
Lawrence is the NFL's most prolific nose tackle. The fact he's got seven sacks in six games is astonishing for a man his size. He's a relentless force capable of wrecking any game when in the mood. Fortunately for the Panthers, they have Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis on the interior to keep him restricted.
As for New York's offense? There's not much to shout about. Daniel Jones continues to struggle. There aren't enough legitimate playmakers to go alongside first-round pick Malik Nabers. They are missing Saquon Barkley being the focal point - something those in power undervalued and are paying the price.
- Prediction: Panthers win (3-7)
Again, it is on the positive side of deluded optimism, but this looks like one of the more winnable games left on Carolina's schedule. If they can somehow get out of their next four fixtures at 2-2, all hope might not be lost after all.