Jim Harbaugh thinks the Panthers will respond this week after awful start to season

Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh is not taking his opponents lightly despite lopsided Week 1 loss.

INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 08: Head coach Jim Harbaugh of the Los Angeles Chargers looks on during an NFL football game between the Los Angeles Chargers and the Las Vegas Raiders at SoFi Stadium on September 08, 2024 in Inglewood, California. / (Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images)

Nobody got beat worse in Week 1 around the NFL than these Carolina Panthers. Their season-opening loss to the New Orleans Saints was a sobering reminder of just how far this team still has to go before they're ready to compete with contenders again. You might naturally assume that this week we'll see more of the same, but their opponent doesn't agree.

Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh was asked at a press conference earlier this week about how he will approach facing the Panthers coming off their 37-point loss. Here's what Harbaugh had to say about what he's expecting from Carolina this week.

Jim Harbaugh on the Panthers

"Everybody on our team understands. Our guys are great competitors too, you know. You look at another NFL player and it's like looking in a mirror. They know how to compete. Every single one of them does. So, you know how you would be responding when you didn't play your best game. And their home opener, there's a bad taste in your mouth when that happens and the only mouthwash is to win the next game."

This makes sense. Even if they weren't about as motivated as they'll ever get coming off such a humiliating loss, NFL teams can look radically different from week to week even under normal circumstances. Hopefully we won't recognize anything we see from them compared to this past Sunday.

Nevertheless, the smart money is on the Chargers. According to Draft Kings Sportsbook, they are five-point favorites despite playing on the road.

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