The Carolina Panthers were expected to be bad once again this season, but 2024 has exceeded everyone's expectations in all the wrong ways. Dave Canales' men look like they're not even a viable NFL team, and they've been non-competitive in more than half of their games through seven weeks of the campaign.
Their win against the Las Vegas Raiders looks more like a fluke now than anything else. Canales' team is now 1-6 on the season and fresh off getting crushed 40-7 by a Washington Commanders team that lost rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels almost immediately.
Carolina may have some diehards who continue to support this team, but even they are starting to lose confidence. Golden State Warriors superstar Steph Curry, a native son of the Carolinas and Panthers superfan, is openly laughing at the team he loves so much on ESPN.
After signing off an appearance with Scott Van Pelt on ESPN, Curry ended with "Go Panthers." Van Pelt replied "Good luck with that," which caused both of them to erupt into laughter.
The Panthers have officially entered Cleveland Browns and New York Jets territory. They are a national punchline once again.
Scott Van Pelt: Always great to visit with you, Steph. Stay well until the next time.
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) October 22, 2024
Steph Curry: "Absolutely. Go Panthers!"
SVP: "Good luck with that." 💀 pic.twitter.com/7YWUXSCLec
Steph Curry roasted on ESPN after Carolina Panthers' 1-6 start
While Andy Dalton was able to provide a spark offensively after the initial decision to bench Bryce Young, his subsequent regression has the Panthers looking like a pathetic opponent. It is hard to envision a scenario in which they can string together a few positive results together over the second half of 2024.
The Panthers rank just 28th in the league in points per game despite hiring an offensive coach in Canales. On defense, Ejiro Evero, who was getting head coach consideration over the last two cycles, is surrendering almost 35 points per game. This could be one of the worst defenses in NFL history.
Carolina needs to take this on the chin, as there is a very small chance they turn things around. The roster isn't good enough, Canales is still finding his footing, and the draft capital is still feeling the sting of the decision to move up for Young.
Even in the short term, Carolina now faces the prospect of competing in an improved division and uncertainty about their quarterback. There may be a fix to all of this at the end of this nightmare, but fans will need to endure a few more months of mockery on a national scale.