3 Things the Panthers Absolutely Have to Show in Week 2 (Besides a Win)

Obviously, the most important thing for the Carolina Panthers on Sunday is finding a way to leave Atlanta with a win. After starting the season with a 59-37 loss to Chicago, nobody is going to complain about how it looks if Carolina can find a way to get back to 1-1.

However, there are also some things I want to see beyond just the final score. Week 1 exposed some problems that Carolina can't afford to let become a trend, and one win isn't going to automatically make all of those concerns disappear.

Sunday is another opportunity to find out a little more about this Panthers team. Here are three things, besides a win, that I need to see from Carolina in Week 2.

The Run Defense Has to Show Up

Sep 13, 2026; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) throws while pressured by Carolina Panthers defensive tackle Derrick Brown (95) in the third quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

In Week 1, Carolina gave up 291 yards on the ground, with D’Andre Swift accounting for 157 yards by himself. Chicago also averaged more than seven yards per rush, which meant that many times they were faced with second and third downs with very short yardage. Carolina cannot afford to have this happen again.

However, Bijan Robinson is lining up on the other side. He finished Week 1 with 173 total yards, including 83 on the ground, and this week will be looking for more of the same. For a team looking to fix its run defense, this isn’t exactly the most favorable matchup.

I do not see the Panthers completely shutting down Robinson. What I am looking for is whether they can make him work for those yards. Don’t let him get seven yards every attempt. If they can keep those runs closer to four yards, then at least Atlanta will have to work for it.

Let’s face it, Bijan Robinson is one of the best running backs in the league, and if we think that Carolina's run defense will suddenly be completely fixed in time for this game, then we are fooling ourselves. However, just don't make it easy for him.

Carolina Has to Play a Cleaner Game

In Week 1, Carolina turned the ball over three times. They also committed 11 penalties for 91 yards. They are already trying to beat the Falcons, but in order to do that, it starts with not beating themselves.

They cannot afford to give Atlanta extra possessions or constantly put the offense in situations like first-and-15. These are mistakes that are within their control. Carolina made things hard enough on themselves last week without giving Chicago even more opportunities.

If Carolina’s defense begins to struggle again, they do not want to be in the position of making the job that much harder. They don't have to play a perfect game, but they have to clean some of this stuff up.

Carolina Has to Show It Can Finish

Aug 28, 2026; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers offensive tackle Stone Forsythe (73) on the sidelines in the third quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

We all saw the final score, but if you didn’t watch the game, you will not have the proper context. In fact, it was a tie game at 31-31 in the third quarter. Although Carolina had already made some costly mistakes and had no way of stopping Chicago’s offense, they were still in it.

However, from that point, they were outscored 28-6. What was a tie game turned into a 22-point loss in what seemed like no time. That is something Carolina cannot allow to happen again.

If Carolina can get Atlanta on the ropes, then they need to show they can finish the job. Last week they were right there in the third quarter, and then everything fell apart. I want to see what happens Sunday if they find themselves in that position again.

Football is a four-quarter game, and Carolina will need to show it can put together four full quarters of competitive football. Do that, and they will have a much better opportunity to leave Atlanta with their first win of the season.

At the end of the day, a win is what matters most, and nobody will care how Carolina gets it. However, I also want to walk away from Sunday feeling like this team fixed some of the things that went wrong against Chicago. Stop the run better, clean up the mistakes, and show that when you have a team on the ropes, you can finish the job.

We are only two weeks into a long season, but at some point Carolina has to show that last year wasn't just a one-year run. Sunday would be a pretty good place to start.

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