Predicting the Carolina Panthers' next 4 games on their 2024 NFL season schedule

Breaking down how Carolina will fare over the next month of games on the schedule.

Tim Weaver | 2 Hours Ago

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - SEPTEMBER 29: Andy Dalton #14 of the Carolina Panthers looks on before the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Bank of America Stadium on September 29, 2024 in Charlotte, North Carolina. / (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)

In this story:

Carolina Panthers

These 2024 Carolina Panthers are not what they were the first two games of the season. At least on one side of the ball, the team has undergone an incredible positive transformation. Thanks to their bold decision to bench Bryce Young and start Andy Dalton, their offense has turned from being the least-productive unit in the NFL to one of the most-explosive.

Their defense could certainly use a similar revolution. Perhaps they'll get it in the form of another new leader - rookie linebacker Trevin Wallace is now the centerpiece and playcaller for that unit in the wake of Shaq Thompson's season-ending Achilles injury. More likely the unit will continue to struggle, but if they can manage to be anywhere near mediore these Panthers will be able to at least compete with most teams around the league.

With that in mind, let's break down the next four games on the schedule and see if we can predict who will come out on top and where they'll be at midseason.

Week 5: at Chicago Bears

Chicago is much in the same position as Carolina was last year at this time. Number one overall pick Caleb Williams is off to a rough start andaside from a strong receiver corps the Bears just don't seem to have enough of a supporting cast right now to get him where he needs to be. On the other hand, with Dalton leading the charge the Panthers have averaged 28 points per game over the last two weeks while Dalton has been among the most-efficient starters in the NFL. As usual, Chicago has a pretty strong defense, only allowing 18.8 points per game so far. We're feeling an upset, though. This team has the confidence to carry them to a road win this week. Panthers 23, Bears 20.

Week 6: vs. Atlanta Falcons

After that the Panthers get a real tough test at home against our pick to win the NFC South this year. The Falcons are fresh off an overtime win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday night, with Kirk Cousins having gone off for over 500 yards and four touchdowns. Atlanta's record says they are 3-2, but if you recall how their Week 3 game against the Kansas City Chiefs ended you know they should actually be 4-1, including a victory over the defending Super Bowl champs. Truth is, the Falcons were already loaded on both sides of the ball, they just needed a quarterback. They got two this offseason, and at least one of them is working out really well so far. We don't expect a blowout but Atlanta is clearly the superior team. Falcons 31, Panthers 27.

Week 7: at Washington Commanders

With rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels playing the role of C.J. Stroud, these Commanders look like the surprise contender of the year in the NFC. Daniels currently has the fifth-highest QBR in the league and the pre-draft comps to Lamar Jackson are looking pretty sharp. Daniels is far more accurate than Jackson was coming into the league, though. He leads the NFL with a remarkable 82.1% completion rate to go with 218 yards and four rushing touchdowns, Washington is averaging over 30 points per game, and given the way Carolina's defense has performed thus far it's not hard to see what's coming, here. The Commanders aren't great defensively either so expect another shootout, where it's tough to bet against Daniels and Kliff Kingsbury. Commanders 35, Panthers 30

Week 8: vs. Denver Broncos

It's been another slow start for Sean Payton's Broncos team this year as Denver continues to get poor results at quarterback. They chucked Russell Wilson after two seasons and are now starting former Oregon star rookie Bo Nix, who's struggling almost as bad as Caleb Williams so far. Nix has thrown just one touchdown pass through four starts to go with four interceptions, 4.8 yards per attempt and a 48.3 QBR, which ranks 22nd in the league. Denver has a tough defense though, allowing the third-fewest points per game thus far (13.3). Expect an ugly one here, but we feel Dave Canales and Andy Dalton can come out on top. Panthers 17, Broncos 13.

This would give the Panthers a record of 3-5 going into their Week 9 rematch with the New Orleans Saints, who spanked Carolina in the season opener by 37 points. How they do in that game should determine whether they are buyers or sellers at the NFL trade deadline, which comes two days later.