Panthers' abysmal performance vs. Chargers in home opener increases early season panic

The Carolina Panthers fall to 0-2 on the season.

Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

It was another long, dreadful Sunday for the Carolina Panthers as they dropped their 2024 home opener to the Los Angeles Chargers, 26-3. The offense totaled 159 yards on the day and have combined to score a total of 13 points through the first two weeks of the season.

Here are some of my initial thoughts on the Panthers' latest disappointment.

Stench of 0-17 in the air

This is my fifth year covering the Panthers which means I've witnessed plenty of bad football here. But this...this is a whole other level of bad. This team has absolutely no rhythm or answers offensively and will need an absurd amount of good fortune to leave a Sunday afternoon/evening feeling good. I've harped on depth being an issue for this team all offseason/preseason long, but now I'll turn my attention to the starters. They have way too many players starting on both sides of the ball that shouldn't be in those roles. When you don't have depth, you better have a top-heavy roster and clearly, that doesn't exist here. 0-17 may be harsh, but please, point to a game on the schedule this team will be favored in. You can look all you want, but you won't find it.

No confidence

After last week's 47-10 debacle, it's hard to be optimistic, even as a player. Yes, it's a long season, but you feel like you're already walking up a steep hill just one game into the year. Outside of a few players on defense (Jaycee Horn, Shaq Thompson, and A'Shawn Robinson) the confidence of this team looks shot. It looks like a group that is unsure of what they're doing and are thinking more than they're playing. Too many "Oh, not again" or "You got to be kidding me" reactions after a bad play happens.

Lack of verticality

Dave Canales has not called for many shots downfield in the passing game and when there are routes of significant depth, Young typically avoids them and checks the ball down. This passing game lives in the flats which is not going to get you anywhere. In the first half, Young threw it downfield once and it resulted in an interception. In the 10 passing attempts through the first 30 minutes, Young targeted just one receiver, Diontae Johnson, three times. The other seven targets went to running backs and tight ends for a grand total of 22 yards, the lowest mark in a half of Young's career.

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