On Saturday, the Panthers will play their first home playoff game in 10 years when they host the Los Angeles Rams.

Cam Newton will be in the house to bang the Keep Pounding drum before the game. It’s going to be rainy. It’s going to be windy. It’s playoff football at its finest.

People can poke fun at the Panthers for backing their way into the playoffs as they did in 2014 when they won the NFC South with a 7-8-1 record.

That team won a game in the playoffs and the next year they went to the Super Bowl.

The bottom line is the Panthers weren’t consistent but won some big games on the road and at home. The Buccaneers didn’t take care of their business and opened the door.

So, will the Panthers take advantage? How will Bryce Young fare in his first playoff start? We are going to find out.

More Moore, less Legette?

Xavier Legette’s second NFL season hasn’t gone as he or Panthers fans have hoped. In the Panthers finale at Tampa Bay, Legette saw his lowest snap percentage of the season. He only played 16 of the Panthers 51 offensive snaps, which was his lowest percentage of the season (38) per FTN Data.

His snap percentage has trended lower since Week 15. With David Moore slated to come back, it’s fair to wonder if Legette’s snaps trend even lower. Would the Panthers even make him inactive?

Being inactive is probably not a likely outcome but he has not been consistent enough to have him on the field for significant offensive snaps. In a playoff game, all mistakes are magnified and Legette has had his share of drops, penalties and field awareness issues.

In Bob McGinn’s 40th annual NFL Draft Series at Go Long, four different scouts weighed in on Legette. The fourth scout had this to say:

“He’s like a better Laviska Shenault. He’s almost like a running back in a way. It took four years to kind of get him up to speed. You can put a tremendous highlight tape on him. The big question will be, ‘OK, how long’s it going to take?’ Is he a one-spot wideout? Probably yes his rookie year. If it took four years in college to get to that level, how long is it going to take in the NFL?”

Everybody progresses at different rates in the league but the Panthers brass has to wonder how long - or if - the light will ever come on for him.

Moore was a crucial target for Young in 2024. Last season, 18 of Moore’s 32 receptions were caught for first downs. He was also targeted in the end zone six times and two went for touchdowns.

Additionally, Moore has been in the league since 2018 and has played in six playoff games.

Although he hasn’t played since Week 4, it’s fair to wonder if he’ll see the field more than Legette.

Avoid 2nd & long

In their last two losses, the Panthers offense possessed the ball for a total of 48 minutes 17 seconds on 104 snaps.

Meanwhile, the Panthers defense has faced 133 plays and been on the field for 71 minutes 43 seconds in those two games.

Part of the Panthers problem with sustaining drives has been their ineffectiveness on first down. They’ve faced 32 2nd downs in their last two games, 17 of those have been 2nd or 7 or longer. Ten of those 17 downs were 10 yards or longer.

The Panthers have only converted 36.1 percent of their third downs, which is 25th in the league. Despite their shortcomings on third down, they’ve excelled on fourth down converting 67.5 percent of their chances, which ranks fifth in the league.

A big reason for their Week 13 win over the Rams was scoring two long touchdowns on fourth down. The Panthers cannot rely on a repeat performance of their fourth down success in this game against the Rams.

Run the ball, stop the run

The Panthers running game fell flat to end the season. They ran for 164 yards and controlled the clock in their win over the Rams in Week 13.

In their last four games, the Panthers have ran for 127, 101, 99 and 19 yards.

Meanwhile, the Panthers defense has allowed opponents to rush for 169, 163 and 140 yards in their last three games.

In a game where rain and wind will be a factor, it’ll be imperative for the Panthers to find success on the ground. The return of right guard Robert Hunt should help the running game.

On the flip side, the Rams will be without stalwart guard Kevin Dotson.

Enjoy the game

If you’re not lucky enough to be at Bank of America Stadium on Saturday, enjoy the game at home. Stay off social media and take in the moment. It has been a long eight years since they were last in the playoffs, so enjoy the moment.

Grab a beer, some wings and just watch the game with friends instead of hyper fixating on every social media post imaginable.

If you’re lucky enough to attend, be loud and embrace the elements.

Sports are supposed to be fun. Being in the playoffs is better than reading countless mock drafts.

And another one.

And another.

Were they egregious? Absolutely.

Did it cost the Carolina Panthers the game? No. Did it cost the Panthers the NFC South title? No.

The Panthers have nobody to blame but themselves. They are the one’s that didn’t take care of business this season. They lost TWICE to the New Orleans Saints.

Tampa Bay tried to give this division and a playoff spot to the Panthers multiple times on a silver platter. The Panthers opted for the poo poo platter each time.

Instead of celebrating a playoff spot in Tampa Bay, the Panthers finish with their eighth consecutive losing season and have to hope for help from the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.

Despite the awful calls, the Panthers had a successful drive going early in the 4th quarter. At the Tampa Bay 20, Dave Canales called a flea flicker that was fumbled. He called a flea flicker despite Carolina’s running backs having trouble with their footing the entire game. He called a flea flicker only 20 yards away from the end zone.

“It’s just an aggressive call,” Canales said when asked about it by Panthers reporter Joe Person after the game.

“Aggressive” is certainly a choice word. A better description would’ve been “reckless” or “negligent.” Canales gets too cute as the offensive play caller and head coach. Calling a flea flicker at the Tampa Bay 20 yard line screams that he wants to show he’s the smartest man in the room. He lost this game for the Panthers with his negligent play calling. There’s no way to spin that a flea flicker was worth the risk in that area of the field.

The Panthers fate lies in the hands of the Atlanta Falcons tomorrow. It’ll be painful to watch but they can only blame themselves for not taking care of business when they had multiple chances to do so.

The atmosphere was electric early. But, the Panthers pulled the plug on themselves the entire day.

Here are some observations from the game.

• The Seahawks are one of the best tackling teams I’ve seen this season, if not the best. Their defenders did not allow yards after the catch in one-on-one situations. The Panthers made life difficult for themselves often, but the Seahawks had a lot to do with their troubles.

• The Panthers defense forced two turnovers and the offense only scored three points off Seattle’s mistakes. That isn’t going to get it done against a premier team.

• Trailing 17-10 and with Seattle facing a 3rd and 21, Jaycee Horn committed one of the most egregious face mask penalties I’ve ever seen. The Seahawks threw a quick out to Jaxson Smith-Njigba on the sideline to gain a few yards and Horn for some reason decided to try and make a tackle as opposed to pushing Smith-Njigba out of bounds. The Seahawks got an automatic first down and ended up scoring a field goal on the drive while taking an additional four minutes and change off the clock. That penalty legitimately sucked the energy out of the stadium.

• Horn has been good this year, but his errors in both losses to the Saints and Seahawks were cataclysmic.

• This loss isn’t on one individual. The Panthers offense stunk up the joint for most of the day.

• Bryce Young had 54 yards passing for an entire game - 40 if you subtract the 14 yards lost on sacks.

• The Panthers didn’t really attempt to push the ball down the field. Perhaps Tetairoa McMillan’s illness really limited his effectiveness. Still, the offense today was unimaginative and uninspiring.

• The bottom line is that the Panthers still have a chance to win the division against Tampa Bay next week. Given where this organization was at two years ago, it’s a marked improvement. They still have a long way to go but the trajectory is moving up as opposed to being buried by The Undertaker.

• Stay off social media while watching games. Enjoy them. Don’t let the opinions of others impact your experience.
  

The Panthers are seven point home underdogs in their regular season home finale. They’ve alternated wins and losses since week 7. If that pattern holds, Sunday would be a loss.

If there was ever a time for the Panthers to end that trend, Sunday would be a great day.

Although I’m not sure what to expect on the field, I expect a raucous atmosphere.

The stadium has had legit electricity in their last two home wins over the Rams and Buccaneers. It should be a playoff atmosphere again as both teams have a ton at stake.

I said it a few weeks ago, it’s awesome to see the Panthers playing meaningful football in December. If you’re a fan of the team, it’s pointless to get into arguments with strangers online about the state of the NFC South. The Panthers have provided enough misery over the last eight years, don’t drain your energy arguing with people that don’t know their ass from a hole in the ground.

As far as the game goes, the Panthers defense will need to force a turnover or two and not allow the explosive plays to Jaxson Smith-Njigba. Offensively, don’t get cute, run the ball and take some shots down the field.

Taking care of business Sunday opens the possibility of the Panthers getting one more home game and it would be in the playoffs. A win and some help from the fish in Miami would make that a reality.

I’m hoping I get to see the stadium erupt if that occurs.

Before training camp began in July, President of Football Operations/General Manager Dan Morgan addressed the media. He read a 184 word prepared statement, which I found odd since the words “winning” and “playoffs” weren’t included.

Looking back at what Morgan said nearly five months ago, the vision is coming to life.

This season our goals are clear: improve our consistency, develop our young core, have our vets lead the way and compete every week with a relentless team first mindset. We’re committed to playing disciplined, physical football and creating a culture of high character and resilience. I have full confidence in our players, coaches and staff to rise to the occasion. Together, along with ownership empowerment, we aim to build a foundation for long term success while putting in the work and earning our arrival.

This team is getting contributions from their young core. Veterans like Chuba Hubbard, Derrick Brown and Jaycee Horn are leading the way.

They are resilient, the only consecutive losses they’ve suffered this season were in weeks one and two.

The Panthers are 7-6 and tied with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at the top of the NFC South with two of their remaining four games against the aforementioned Bucs.

In their wins, they’ve been physical with the run game.

If the Panthers want to win the division and make their first playoff appearance since 2017, they’ll need to string together some consecutive victories and end the up and down rollercoaster they’ve been on since mid-October. They’ll definitely have to earn their arrival over the final four weeks.

Enjoy the next four weeks. Fans haven’t had a lot to cheer about in nearly a decade and this is a fun team to root for despite some of the inconsistencies. There will be plenty of time to discuss fifth year options, free agents and draft picks in the offseason. But for now, enjoy the moment. The march to the playoffs starts in New Orleans on Sunday.

Like last year, he chatted with the media from the podium before camp began.

This press conference was just a bit different than last year’s version.

Last year, Morgan made some quick remarks and started taking questions.

This year, Morgan read from a prepared statement before taking questions. Since he was elevated to his current position within the organization, I don’t recall Morgan reading from any type of prepared statement when addressing the media.

Here's his full opening statement from last Tuesday:

“As we begin the season I just wanted to reaffirm our commitment to building a smart, tough, passionate, competitive, resilient and adaptable team. We aim to trust our process, be disciplined and build a team that can sustain over time. Over the offseason, we’ve made targeted upgrades to our roster, adding key pieces on both sides of the ball to address our needs and create more dynamic options offensively and defensively. While still in process we believe these moves - combined with our existing talent, veteran leadership and the development of our young players - position us well for the challenges ahead. This season our goals are clear: improve our consistency, develop our young core, have our vets lead the way and compete every week with a relentless team first mindset. We’re committed to playing disciplined, physical football and creating a culture of high character and resilience. I have full confidence in our players, coaches and staff to rise to the occasion. Together, along with ownership empowerment, we aim to build a foundation for long term success while putting in the work and earning our arrival.”

Maybe I’m the only person in the city of Charlotte that finds it unusual that he read from a prepared statement. I’m still asking myself questions on why a week later.

For starters - who wrote the statement? Reading from a prepared statement doesn’t seem to fit Morgan’s style, especially one that reads like an individual stock’s forward-looking statement.

Morgan’s statement talked about what they’re committed to and the clear goals they have for the season. Oddly enough the words “winning” and “playoffs” weren’t included in that 184 word statement. Why?

Most rational fans don’t expect this team to make a run to the Super Bowl. However, most are hoping for more than five wins and would like to see the team be in contention for a playoff spot at the end of the season.

Perhaps Morgan is still scarred from watching former GM Scott Fitterer proclaim that the team was better at most positions as they entered the 2023 season, which ended up as arguably the worst in Panthers history. Morgan has been incredibly guarded when it has come to any sort of response about expectations for the team.

He noted the targeted upgrades to the roster on both sides of the ball. While resources were invested into the defense, they were historically horrendous in 2024. Hours after he spoke to the media, news broke that the team cut starting linebacker Josey Jewell. That made one of the weaker links on paper potentially the biggest question mark on the roster.

Maybe Morgan is trying to manage expectations and not trying to put any unnecessary additional pressure on the team or organization and that was the purpose of the statement.

“Together, along with ownership empowerment, we aim to build a foundation for long term success while putting in the work and earning our arrival.”

Long term success is great but this fan base doesn’t want to wait around another seven years to be relevant again. That arrival will need to come soon.

Subscribe now

Training camp week is here, so I figured it might be a good time to post something. After all, I haven’t wrote much of anything since April.

This camp has an odd feel to it since practices are closed to fans due to construction. Despite that, there’s some optimism surrounding this team for the first time in roughly a decade.

Rookies reported on Monday and they’re all under contract after Nic Scourton agreed to a deal on Saturday.

We’ll see what Dave Canales and Dan Morgan say to the media scrum this week. Here are some questions on my mind as it pertains to training camp and the season at large.

Will the starters play more snaps in preseason?

You may recall the horrendous start to the Panthers 2024 season. The starters played exactly one series in the last game of the preseason against Buffalo’s backups.

It was an interesting strategy given how terrible the Panthers were in 2023. Every game matters in the NFL and slow starts can have dire consequences.

Sensible people are not going to ask Canales to play his starters three quarters each preseason game but we’ll see if he adjusts his strategy based on how things unfolded last year.

Will there be any additional roster moves this week?

The Panthers spent a lot of money on the defensive side of the ball in March, but safety remains a question mark despite the signing of Tre’von Moehrig and drafting of Lathan Ransom.

Tight end is also a question with Tommy Tremble starting on the PUP list due to his back surgery. Veteran Noah Fant was released by the Seahawks on Sunday. Canales has familiarity with Fant but that doesn’t mean the Panthers will kick the tires on him.

Can Bryce Young complete a full season of solid play?

It would be tough to script a worse scenario than what played out for Bryce Young in the first two games of the 2024 season. He played awful, had terrible body language and his career seemed to be in the balance.

However, Young bounced back from that benching and provided glimpses of hope that he was the guy the Panthers traded up for in 2023. Young’s play when he returned from his Week 2 benching had to provide a massive sense of relief to every person within the organization.

Young still has to prove that he can perform at a high level over a full season. He only has one 300 yard passing game under his belt and that came on Christmas Eve against the Packers in the disastrous 2023 campaign.

While optimism is higher than it has been, putting together a full season of solid play will go a long way to laying doubts to rest.

QUICK SLANTS

• Break up the Charlotte Hornets, your 2025 NBA Summer League champions! Next step, hopefully making - and winning - an actual playoff series!

• The Charlotte 49ers football team will take the field soon for practice. The program as a whole let a golden opportunity slip away to get the city behind them with how the Panthers and Hornets have floundered since 2018. Will Mike Hill’s third football coaching hire in Tim Albin be the charm the program needs? I don’t have any predictions on how Albin’s era will go. If he can somehow start 2-0 though, I think the program will have some people in this city hop on the 49ers bandwagon.

• It was disappointing to see ESPN Charlotte 730 The Game rebrand to a sports betting network. Having more options talking about local sports is a good thing and losing it hurts. There’s enough gambling content out there that a rebrand wasn’t needed in my opinion.

• Football is almost here. Bring it on.

For the fifth time in six years, the Carolina Panthers are picking in the top 10. The one time they didn’t was in 2024, when they earned the No. 1 pick with a 2-15 record during 2023 which was given to the Bears from the Bryce Young trade.

Picking consistently in the top 10 isn’t something to brag about. Teams pick in the top 10 for a reason. That reason is because you weren’t very good the previous year. And for the Panthers, they haven’t been good in a long time.

There are a multitude of reasons the Panthers have consistently picked in the top 10. Among those:

• Negligence with trading draft capital (C.J. Henderson, Matt Corral)

• Whiffed on player evaluations

• Organizational disfunction

So what will they do? Will they stay at No. 8 or get an offer they can’t refuse to move down?

The only thing I’m confident in predicting is that they will not trade up.

Last week, General Manager Dan Morgan stated that they need “playmakers on both sides of the ball.”

Morgan saw the same thing we did last season on the field. The offense could use a game breaker. The offense was tied for last with only three passing plays of more than 40 yards. They had 43 passing plays of 20 yards or more, which was tied for sixth fewest.

Defensively, the Panthers did not score any defensive touchdowns in 2024 and only forced 17 turnovers, which was tied for last with five other teams. Even after a free agency spending spree last month, they need more talent.

As of Wednesday afternoon, the Panthers hold selections No. 8, 57, 74, 111, 114, 140, 146, 163 and 230.

Many draft analysts have said you can find multiple starters in the early rounds. Waiting almost 50 selections to pick after No. 8 is steep. I think the Panthers would like to trade down to acquire another pick before No. 57. How far down are they willing to go? That’s the question.

If they stay at No. 8 and go with defense, popular names that are tied to the Panthers include Georgia edge Jalon Walker, Michigan defensive lineman Mason Graham and Ole Miss defensive tackle Walter Nolen.

Offensively, would they be interested in Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan McMillan? Would they dare go offensive tackle at No. 8 if all other preferred options are off the board?

The Panthers have met with multiple offensive tackles during the pre-draft process.

Left tackle Ickey Ekwonu has not had his fifth year option picked up yet. Taylor Moton will turn 31 in training camp and is scheduled to be a free agent in 2026.

It would surprise many if the Panthers went with an offensive tackle in the first round. However, no team in the NFL should ever assume they are set on the offensive or defensive line. The Panthers thought they were set on the offensive line after 2022 only to see them be one of the worst units in the league in 2023.

Getting ahead of a potential problem before it happens is not a bad way to operate.

We’ll see how the Panthers navigate the board once they’re on the clock.

QUICK SLANTS

• I think the Panthers should do everything in their power to trade back and acquire additional draft capital. They need talent everywhere.

• If they pick at No. 8, my preference would be Mason Graham, Tetaiora McMillan or Walter Nolen.

#MarchSadness? You’re probably reading this and thinking, don’t you mean March Madness?

Well, if you’re an alumnus of a university that hasn’t made the NCAA Tournament since 2005, it’s definitely #MarchSadness.

#MarchSadness officially commenced at 5:34 p.m., Eastern time, on Thursday as the Charlotte 49ers were eliminated from the American Athletic Conference Tournament in Forth Worth, Texas. They finished the season 11-22 and 3-15 in AAC play, which was dead last.

This will mark the 20th consecutive year that the program has not competed in the Big Dance. The students that witnessed that last appearance are old enough to have kids that are probably headed to college sooner rather than later.

As an alum, it definitely sucks to not be part of that opening round of games on Thursday or Friday after having a taste of it in 2004 and 2005.

It also sucks to think about the number of students that have came through the university since then that have not got to see their team playing in the dance.

As someone that’s covered the program, unfortunately they’ve gotten to this point with bad decisions that were compounded with more bad decisions.

I have no clue if the basketball program will ever get back to the NCAA Tournament.

At least they won their first conference tournament game since 2016 this season. Head Coach Aaron Fearne’s team definitely didn’t quit.

On the post game radio show, Coach Fearne indicated they won’t waste any time next week as he figures out who’s staying and leaving.

While the deck is seemingly stacked against programs like Charlotte in today’s free for all environment, they’ll have to find a way. It isn’t impossible.

This fan base would love nothing more than to have Coach Fearne turn #MarchSadness back into #MarchMadness.

QUICK SLANTS

• The Panthers obviously thought Jaycee Horn was a $20 million dollar a year player, and then some.

• Bringing back Mike Jackson, Tommy Tremble, Cade Mays & Brady Christensen are solid moves in my opinion. Jackson is the type of player you want on your ball team. Be sure to check out Joseph Person’s excellent story on Jackson over at The Athletic.

• Would it be nice to have Milton Williams on your team? Sure. But, it’s hard to justify paying him more than Derrick Brown. When the Patriots came over the top with a bigger offer, the Panthers pivoted. We’ll see if those moves pay off, but it’s clear the Panthers did not panic. Dan Morgan has said multiple times he has a plan and it appears they are sticking to it.

• Signing Rico Dowdle was smart business. Does it preclude the Panthers from drafting a running back? It might.

• The biggest question that remains is will the Panthers stay at number eight in next month’s draft or try to obtain more picks in a trade down. I think the preferred move for the Panthers is to trade back if certain players aren’t on the board when they are on the clock.

At the NFL Combine last week, President of Football Operations/General Manager Dan Morgan stated that Executive Vice President of Football Operations Brandt Tilis had spoken to Horn’s representatives about an extension.

Horn, who turns 27 in late November, was the 8th selection of the 2021 NFL Draft.

On Monday, Joe Person from The Athletic reported that contract talks continued and that both sides were interested in completing a deal. Person reported that Horn was looking for a contract comparable to the highest-paid corners in the league where the average annual value was at or above $20 million.

Per overthecap.com, five cornerbacks make over $20 million annually while another six are in the $19 million range.

The question with Horn has been durability. Horn has played 37 out of a possible 68 games (54 percent) in his first four seasons. He started the first 15 games of the 2024 campaign before missing the final two.

From a durability standpoint, seven of the 11 cornerbacks above the $19 million mark have played over 10 games each season they’ve been in the league. The exceptions are Jaire Alexander, Trevon Diggs, Marshon Lattimore and L’Jarius Sneed.

Alexander has missed 10 or more games in three of the last four seasons and may get released. Diggs has played in 13 games the last two seasons. Lattimore was dealt to Washington last season and played nine games total, he missed 10 in 2022 and seven in 2023. Sneed missed double digit games for the first time in his career in 2024.

Per FTN’s Coverage DVOA for 2024, Horn ranked 25th amongst all corners in the league through week 17 for corners that faced at least 350 routes.1 Surtain - taken one pick after Horn in 2021 - was ranked first and won Defensive Player of the Year honors. Horn was ranked above Denzel Ward (32nd) and Tyson Campbell (37th) in FTN’s Coverage DVOA metric.

Do the Panthers view Horn as a $19 to $20 million a year player? If they don’t and Horn insists on getting paid within that range, would the Panthers consider trading him to avoid a repeat of the Brian Burns saga?

The Panthers have holes all over their roster and they likely cannot plug each one this offseason. They have limited premium draft capital, with only three picks in the top 100 and no selections between 8 and 57.

If they cannot come to an agreement with Horn in the coming weeks, the Panthers would be wise not to sit idle as they did with Burns. Obviously the caveat here is that the Panthers weren’t reportedly offered a Godfather type draft haul for Horn as the Rams did for Burns prior to the 2022 trade deadline.

This isn’t to suggest that the Panthers should just trade Horn for mid round selections. Morgan was part of the front office that oversaw the Burns debacle and he knows he cannot have a repeat of that situation.

"They're talking; things are moving along, so hopefully, we get something done there sooner than later," Morgan said at the combine.

If Horn’s potential extension isn’t resolved by the end of March or even the NFL Draft, would the Panthers consider moving him?

If the Panthers have learned from their previous mistakes, we’ll find out sooner rather than later.

Until then, I want to look back at some statistics from 2024.

Don’t let the offense off the hook

There has been plenty of talk around Charlotte in regards to the Panthers upgrading their defense in the coming months. It was historically awful, on par with the Delta’s GPA in Animal House - the worst in Panthers history!

While the defense was awful - they certainly did not get a lot of help from the offense for chunks of 2024.

Football is a complimentary game, right?

Let’s take a look at some of the 2024 statistics from FTN’s NFL Offensive Drive Stats tool.

The Panthers had 179 offensive drives during the 2024 season.

• 48 of those drives - 27 percent - went 3 and out. That was tied for second worst with Chicago and Cleveland. Note: this only marks drives that ended with a punt.

• They averaged 5.64 plays per drive, second worst in the league.

• They averaged 28.21 yards per drive, seventh worst in the league.

• Their average time of possession per game was 27 minutes 13 seconds, second worst in the league.

Part of Dave Canales’ growth as a coach going into year two will need to center around improving these numbers. The Panthers likely won’t be able to plug every hole they have on defense this year. One way to help your defense out is by making sure they aren’t on the field for more than half the game.

At times during his first season, Canales was quick to abandon the run game and rely too heavily on the pass.

While the defense must improve, the same applies to the offense.

QUICK ROUTES

• You won’t see me do any mock drafts here at Sideline Slant. It is way too early to have any idea what the Panthers might do at No. 8. Free agency will play a big part in this. As of this moment, I firmly believe anything is in play - including a wide receiver.

• With that said, the biggest question to me is will the Panthers find a way to acquire additional draft capital? They have three picks within the top 100 (8, 57, 74). I have to imagine that they would strongly prefer to add picks before the 57th selection.

• Will the Panthers try to prioritize earning compensatory picks in future years? Part of this formula centers around having good players leave for big money elsewhere. The other part also requires not adding more free agents than you lost. The last time the Panthers were awarded compensatory selections was in 2021. Those pick numbers were 222 and 226. The Panthers traded No. 226 as part of the deal to acquire Sam Darnold. The New York Jets ended up trading that selection to the Kansas City Chiefs, who took guard Trey Smith. The Panthers decided to take a long snapper for a social media moment, despite having a solid one on the roster at the time that’s still on the team in 2025.

THE LEAD

In March of 2024, I was standing in line at a Bojangles in southwest Charlotte. Although it wasn’t football season, this particular Bojangles still had their Panthers themed “Big Bo Box” on display behind the counter.

As I pondered between getting the southern gravy biscuit combo versus the sausage & egg biscuit, the lady directly ahead of me in line blurted out loud “The Panthers are such an embarrassment.”

She wasn’t wrong. The Panthers were coming off arguably their worst season in franchise history. You know the story. They went 2-15, gave up the number one pick in the draft and looked like they took the wrong quarterback after trading up to the top spot in the 2023 draft.

Eleven months later, there’s optimism around this franchise once again thanks to Bryce Young’s finish to the 2024 campaign.

There was some optimism after 2022 of course. The Panthers hired a new coach and felt they were a quarterback away from competing for the division and more.

Hopefully the Panthers have learned from their mistakes that offseason. They still aren’t a player away, but they are in much better shape than anyone could’ve imagined after Young was benched after two games in 2024.

We’ll see how Dan Morgan attacks free agency and the draft. I’m not going to declare Morgan’s first draft a complete bust. As Bryce Young showed, progression for each player is different.

However, Morgan has to get viable contributions out of his early draft picks. Using a second round pick on injured running back Jonathan Brooks was not a sound process for a team that had very limited draft capital and wasn’t going to compete for a Super Bowl.

I imagine there a lot of focus will be placed on the defensive side of the ball in free agency. They still need offensive playmakers as well. Although the offensive line was a strength last year, they should still continue to build that group. At the end of the day, football is won in the trenches and you need all the ass kickers you can get.

QUICK SLANTS

• I find myself more detached than ever from whatever you want to call this bastardized version “college” athletics. Perhaps it would be different if the Charlotte 49ers showed a pulse. Dormant volcanoes have more life than the men’s basketball program. Perhaps Tim Albin will win big in football. The hire on paper seems like it was a good one. However, Athletic Director Mike Hill’s decision history with big hires doesn’t exactly inspire confidence.

• Long snapper J.J. Jansen will be back for a 17th season. When you have a reliable long snapper on the roster, you should never take one in the sixth round of the NFL Draft.

• Andy Dalton is also back with the Panthers. There’s nothing wrong with having a reliable backup quarterback to spot start some games. Ask the Miami Dolphins.

• The Charlotte Hornets need to play Mark Williams on Wednesday night against the Los Angeles Lakers. Everybody deals with setbacks in life. If he truly wants to stick it to the Lakers and anybody else that’s written him off, it’s up to him to write that story.

• I saw that former Panthers GM Marty Hurney got into the horse racing business. Hurney was a perpetual punching bag for many in Charlotte during his separate stints with the organization. Hurney’s story is well documented, where he started as a sports writer and ultimately transitioned into the league. The thing I’ll respect about Hurney is he always answered questions from the media and even went on a local radio station once to answer complaints from fans. Like any GM, Hurney had his fair share of misses. However, he nailed his first round picks for most of his tenure in Charlotte. When fans clamor for someone to be fired they seem to forget it can always get worse. Hopefully Dan Morgan can channel his inner Hurney with his first round picks going forward.

Some quick thoughts on what I’d love to see over the final three games.

1. WIN A GAME

   1. This won’t be a popular stance amongst those that prefer to lose games for a higher draft position. However, this team has done plenty of losing and it’s not like they’ve taken advantage of some of the high picks they’ve had.

2. DON’T REPEAT THE DALLAS PERFORMANCE

   1. Last Sunday’s performance against the Cowboys quickly took me back to the end of the 2023 season. After Bryce Young and the team put up an awesome performance against the Packers at home, they proceeded to not score a single point over the final two games. On top of winning a game, the Panthers need to be ready to play and be competitive.

3. RUN THE DAMN BALL

   1. It feels like Dave Canales forgets that he has Chuba Hubbard on the team. Hubbard touched the ball seven times on the first drive against the Cowboys. After that? Just seven times for the rest of the game. Hubbard should have double digit rushing attempts in each game going forward.

4. DON’T DEFER THE OPENING KICKOFF

   1. I know the analytics say deferring the kickoff is the better move. However, the analytics aren’t accounting for how horrendous the Panthers are at playing defense. The Panthers need to find ways to keep their defense off the field. Taking the ball and finding a way to score on the opening drive would go a long way to helping this defense.

      ---

The #ParkerParlay

I put Ezra’s Christmas bonus on the line from Trading Places. I believe that Canales won’t forget about Hubbard this week. With Legette out, I think Sanders will hit pay dirt in the red zone.

Andy Dalton’s main job on Sunday is to operate a somewhat competent offense that can move the ball and score more than 10 points in a single game. Hey, scoring multiple touchdowns would be a great first step here.

Rational fans should not expect Dalton to reel off 15 straight wins. I have a better chance of nailing 15 straight #ParkerParlays than Dalton does of reeling off that many consecutive victories, let alone one.

All I’m looking for on Sunday is competence. Get first downs, score points and hold the ball for at least 30 minutes.

I’m keeping it simple. I’m not going to inundate you with a bunch of numbers. If you watch the Panthers weekly, you know what your eyes see and ears hear.

Lean into your running game, take a few shots down the field and score some touchdowns.

That’s it.

THE #PARKERPARLAY

I hit two of the four legs on last week’s #ParkerParlay. While that was an improvement on the week one doughnut, I still lost.

I opted for another four-leg parlay this week on DraftKings Sportsbook, utilizing a 50% profit boost promotion they had.

This week’s parlay was crafted using the assistance of the NFL Same Game Parlay Tool from the fine folks over at FTN Fantasy.

Here is my $10 wager for week 3.

THE MENU

I will be throwing an 11 pound pork butt on the Traeger on Saturday afternoon. The seasoning of choice is Holy Voodoo from Meat Church.

For those that are mathematically challenged, that means the Panthers are 31-70 since the 2018 season.

Bryce Young - the 2023 No. 1 overall pick that has started 16 of those losses - was benched on Monday after he passed for a paltry 84 yards on 18 completions in a 26-3 home opener loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.

Young didn’t give the Panthers a choice. Frustrations started to flare up on the field from players. Gaining a single yard was just as hard as completing a difficult pass on the run.

Under Young, the Panthers are last in the following offensive categories:

• First downs (18)

• Third down conversions (2-for-22, 9.1%)

• Points (13)

• Receiving yards (245)

There’s a difference between merely losing games and being completely uncompetitive. The Panthers had no chance to win games with Young.

On top of his poor play, Young’s body language reeks of someone that has lost all confidence. The leader of the team cannot be someone that doesn’t believe in himself. That’s a recipe for the disaster, especially for Dave Canales when it comes to keeping the locker room together.

It’s an unfortunate situation for the Panthers but they have nobody to blame but themselves for how it played out. When they reported to camp, General Manager and President of Football Operations Dan Morgan said: “We have a plan in place. We have a process. We’re aligned in that plan and we’re going to stick to it. And I feel like if we’re disciplined and stick to our plan on building this thing, that we will build a winner eventually and I think we’re pretty confident in that.”

Do they have a plan? Was benching Young before week 3 included as a possible outcome? Can this organization figure out how to get out of this abyss?

Instead of riding out a plan or simply adjusting on the fly, they’ve lit the blueprint on fire and moved on.

Maybe Morgan and others in the front office knew deep down that this would not work but wanted to give Young another chance after the shenanigans that occurred in 2023.

There are still 15 more games to play and maybe we’ll see Young again toward the end of the season.

All we know is that Young likely isn’t going to be part of this organization’s future. Who knows how the next plan is drawn up or if it’ll finally work. History suggests that the bad time will continue. It’s up to the Panthers to learn from the past and get it right.

QUICK SLANTS

• There was a lot of talk about having a “dawg” mentality. Deferring kickoffs doesn’t reflect that mentality. The Panthers have deferred the kickoff in both games and both times the defense has given up a touchdown. This team has nothing to lose at this point, take the ball and get the run game going with the road graders you have on the line.

• Nobody should expect the soon to be 37-year-old Andy Dalton to lead the Panthers to the playoffs. The Panthers would like some better balance and complimentary football. They’ve held the ball for a total of 47 minutes 3 seconds, which is 31st in the league. The defense has been on the field for 72 minutes 57 seconds in two games. That split cannot continue.

The excerpt below is from Hill’s opening message in the 2018 Charlotte 49ers Athletic Foundation Membership Guide.

As I’ve said before, we are not in it to be ordinary. We’re in it to be extraordinary. Excellence is our goal. The Gold Standard applies to each and every facet of our program. We want the best for our student-athletes, our coaches and our fans. And we want our fans to celebrate our successes and share in those golden moments. Our success is your success. This is your program. My personal goal is to see that we grow stronger together. It’s time that we realize our full potential instead of just talking about it. We can do this -- we will do this -- together.

Hill has been on the job for over six years and on Sunday he received a four year extension.

Apparently “The Gold Standard” applies to everything but the two most important sports Charlotte sponsors, football and men’s basketball.

I fully realize there are multiple sports sponsored by Charlotte. However, football and men’s basketball are the sports that undoubtedly drive the needle in the artist formerly known as college athletics. One of those sports has to perform well for fans to have any confidence in the Athletic Director’s ability to build and maintain a healthy program.

Men’s basketball is 91-90 since Hill took over. They haven’t won a regular season or conference tournament championship. Most importantly, they still have not made the NCAA Tournament, a drought that dates back to 2005. There’s certainly nothing extraordinary about the current state of the men’s basketball program.

Hiring Ron Sanchez sounded good on paper but that turned out to be a disaster. Hill got the ultimate reprieve when when Sanchez resigned in June 2023 to go back to an assistant role at Virginia. Aaron Fearne had the interim tag lifted after a hot start and failed to advance in the conference tournament.

Under Hill’s watch, the football program is 26-44 overall with one winning season and bowl appearance, both in 2019.

If you want to remove the 2018 season since he inherited Brad Lambert, that record is 21-37, a 36.2 percent winning percentage. There’s nothing extraordinary or excellent about losing 63.8 percent of the time your team takes the field.

Hill’s first hire, Will Healy, at least had coaching experience and made a bowl game year one to offer some hope to people before ultimately flaming out. But don’t forget, Healy was only hired after a deal to get Mike Houston didn’t come to fruition.

Hill’s gamble on hiring Biff Poggi to lead the football program has been a massive failure to date. Hill chose Poggi over Barry Odom. Odom was scooped up by UNLV, where he was 9-5 and bowl eligible in year one. Year two for Odom is off to a better start. UNLV is 3-0 with wins over Houston and Kansas. On Sunday, UNLV’s football program was ranked No. 25 in the US LBM Coaches Poll, the first time the program has ever been nationally ranked.

Meanwhile, Poggi is 4-11.

Poggi talked a big game after he got hired, but then the actual games were played on the field and the 49ers went 3-9 in his first season. Another words, Poggi’s win total matched the number of questions he was asked at the American Athletic Conference’s media day. The team was poorly coached and undisciplined on the field, highlighted by their embarrassing 38-16 home loss to FAU where multiple players were suspended for their conduct.

Poggi narrowly avoided an 0-3 start in year two after squeaking by FCS Gardner Webb at home on Saturday night. After the game, Poggi took issue with fans that left the game early.

It’s hard to point to a singular aspect of Poggi’s on field performance that predicts any modicum of future success.

Aaron Fearne had an opportunity to quell some of the pessimism in March but did not take advantage.

Perhaps that’s why the university decided to drop the news of Hill’s extension after the NFL kicked off their games on Sunday. If Chancellor Sharon Gaber is so confident in Hill’s ability to grant an extension, why announce it on an NFL Sunday when it’ll get buried beneath the other headlines?

The most bizarre section of the press release announcing Hill’s extension was the summary of his highlights. The release cited a record performance in the Learfield Directors’ Cup standings and Excellence in Management Cup. Casual college fans have no idea what these magical cups are or give one rat’s behind about them.

“My personal goal is to see that we grow stronger together. It’s time that we realize our full potential instead of just talking about it. We can do this -- we will do this -- together.”

Is excellence really the goal? Extending Hill certainly doesn’t suggest that Charlotte is serious about ever competing at the highest levels of football and basketball.

If Sunday proved anything, Charlotte will spend the next four years talking about their so called potential instead of ever doing anything about it.

~Carolina Panthers Head Coach Dave Canales at the 2024 NFL Combine on running the ball

There was certainly a lot of talk about running the ball this offseason. That was nothing but a bunch of hot air for game one at least.

Did the game script get out of hand thanks to a quick 17-0 deficit? You could say that.

However, Canales had a big hand as to why things snowballed so quickly. For starters, he deferred and I covered that on Tuesday.

He had a choice on Carolina’s first offensive possession trailing 7-0. The first called play was a pass. The Caesars Superdome was rocking after Derek Carr connected on a 59-yard touchdown strike to Rashid Shaheed. Instead of calling a run, he called a passing play for his embattled second year quarterback. The pass was intercepted and a seven point deficit quickly turned to 10.

It’s easy to play arm chair quarterback but on the surface that play call didn’t make a lot of sense given the situation. What also didn’t make a lot of sense was 10 total first half rushing attempts, three each to Chuba Hubbard and Miles Sanders. All three of Hubbard’s carries came on the second drive of the half in the first quarter.

The team that is coming to town on Sunday will undoubtedly run the ball come hell or high water. The Los Angeles Chargers offensive line and running back room have to be licking their chops after watching the Panthers defensive front give up 180 yards on the ground. There’s also the fact that Derrick Brown is out.

If the Panthers come out throwing again as if they are the greatest show on turf and Bryce Young turns in another dud performance, the boo birds from those that decide to attend will get loud quickly.

This may be the least anticipated home opener in the history of the franchise. Apathy and disdain are at all-time highs thanks to Panthers replacing the Detroit Lions and Cleveland Browns as the dregs of the league. For the second year in a row, the Panthers are offering perfect attendance awards to PSL owners that show up to each game.

For the most part, fans are out on Young. A poor start on Sunday will just add to the angst that many are feeling.

While Young must play better, his head coach must also put him in a better position to win and it starts by running the ball more.

This franchise has an identity that was associated with running the ball and playing hard nosed defense. Canales needs to lean into that and embrace it. Nobody cares how you win games as long as you win.

The Panthers likely aren’t going to win many games this season. At a minimum, Canales must display some type of competency as a head coach. The fans are desperate for something to cling to when it comes to hope. Embracing the running game would be a good first step.

THE #PARKERPARLAY

As you know, the week 1 #ParkerParlay was about as effective as the Panthers offense. I didn’t hit a single leg of the parlay.

But hey, we’re back again! I firmly believe that there will be a lot of rushing attempts in this game by both teams and I’m leaning into it. I also think that Canales will work to find Young some layup throws.

I placed this four leg parlay over on DraftKings Sportsbook.

QUICK SLANTS

• I’d be willing to wager that most of the fan based collectively rolled their eyes on Wednesday when Canales said he had met with both David & Nicole Tepper following Sunday’s game. It’s certainly reasonable to communicate with the owner. Given how things have played out here since 2018, most people want assurance that they aren’t driving any single on field or personnel decision.

• The media in attendance seemed as if they were in a stunned silence when Canales disclosed he met with the Tepper’s and then wished David Tepper happy birthday.

• I mentioned it earlier, but this may be the least anticipated home opener in the history of the franchise. The Panthers will have to find a way to get the crowd to cheer about something.

• Not just for the sake of my parlay, but Canales would be wise to get Chuba Hubbard involved early and often.

• If the Charlotte 49ers somehow lose to Gardner Webb on Saturday, some serious questions must be asked about Biff Poggi and the direction of the program. Questions should also be levied at Athletic Director Mike Hill, who took a massive gamble by hiring Poggi over Barry Odom. Hill’s most important hires - football and men’s basketball - since 2018 haven’t panned out. While success in other sports shouldn’t be overlooked, football and men’s basketball are what drives everything in whatever you want to call collegiate athletics these days.

• If you’re in town and doing nothing on Saturday, go check out the second annual Roaring Riot Kickoff Jam. You can’t beat listening to live music while having a beer and seeing Panthers such as Jonathan Stewart, Mike Rucker and Chuba Hubbard.

Sunday and Monday should remind everyone that things can always get worse, especially with this franchise.

After getting their clocks cleaned in New Orleans on Sunday, the Panthers learned on Monday that Derrick Brown has a meniscus injury and could potentially miss the season.

As if things weren’t bad enough for this franchise, losing one of their few stalwart players will make things harder than ever.

Jim Harbaugh and the Los Angeles Chargers will come to town on Sunday. You can bet the Panthers will see heavy doses of that run attack after giving up 180 yards on the ground to the Saints.

The Panthers are 6.5 point underdogs to the Chargers at DraftKings Sportsbook as of Monday evening.

WHY DEFER?

I understand that the norm in today’s NFL is for the team that wins the coin toss to defer the opening kick. I certainly understand the strategy. However, the Panthers should’ve taken the ball in that situation on Sunday.

For starters, the Panthers spent $70 million dollars of guaranteed money on two offensive guards in free agency.

Dave Canales talked about being stubborn with the run game at various points during the offseason.

New Orleans is one of the loudest venues in the entire NFL. Taking the ball to start the game would’ve given the Panthers an opportunity to impose their will on the Saints from the get go.

It’s no secret that the Saints faithful isn’t exactly thrilled with the direction of their team. The Panthers had an opportunity to get that crowd antsy and angry from the start and passed on it, not exactly a dawg mentality.

Of course there’s no guarantee they would’ve scored any points and it’s possible Bryce Young would’ve thrown an interception in that situation.

However, the Panthers got down quickly and never recovered.

The Panthers coaches have to know where their strengths are as a team. This defense doesn’t have the playmakers it did a season ago. If they get another opportunity to take the ball at the start of a game, they should do it.

SPEAKING OF RUNNING THE BALL

Of all the things that were disappointing on Sunday, the Panthers abandoning the run game early ranks way up there after all the talk we heard about it in the offseason.

To run the ball only 10 times in the first half was highly questionable, even with how things snowballed.

Sunday’s game against the Chargers should be an old school affair. Chuba Hubbard should get the ball early and often on Sunday.

The ask from most fans was simply some version of “look competent and don’t embarrass yourselves.”

So much for that small ask.

The Panthers embarrassed themselves from the jump on Sunday as they were pummeled 47-10 down in New Orleans.

Offense, defense and special teams have nothing to hang their hats on.

The defense allowed the Saints to score on their first nine drives. Bryce Young, the embattled second year quarterback, threw an interception on the Panthers first offensive play from scrimmage. Special teams had a punt blocked and had poor coverage throughout.

Let’s circle back to Young. He followed up one of the worst rookie seasons of all-time with a horrendous 13-for-30 performance. Overthrows, interceptions and looking small in the pocket continue to plague him. He hasn’t displayed any elite trait in 17 games.

The trade up for Young in the 2023 draft looks like one of the worst transactions of all-time in any sport at the moment.

Apathy had already set in for a good portion of the fanbase and Sunday offered another reminder that things probably won’t improve anytime soon.

Sunday marked the 100th time the Carolina Panthers took the field for a regular season game since David Tepper bought the team in 2018.

The Panthers are now 31-69 with Tepper as owner. No winning seasons. No playoff appearances. No hope seemingly on the horizon.

Fans may have thought 2023 was rock bottom given the 2-15 record and giving up the No.1 overall pick in the draft. A one or zero-win campaign could certainly be in the cards for this franchise based on what we saw on Sunday.

It’s up to the Panthers to change their fortunes. As Sunday showed, they have a long way to go.

THE PARKER PARLAY

The only thing worse than the Panthers on-field performance on Sunday was the #ParkerParlay.

I didn’t hit a single leg on this one.

Based on how the Panthers performed on Sunday, perhaps I should avoid parlaying them in anything for the rest of the season.

THE FOOD SLANT

If the football is going to be atrocious this season, we can at least have some fun with food.

I fired up the Traeger for some cajun wings.

The wings were much better than the Panthers game I watched. The people at the house enjoyed them. I wish I had sauced them a tad bit more, but they were still great. I’d definitely make them again.

Is Bryce Young the long term answer at quarterback?

That is the question the Carolina Panthers organization must know the answer to before the 2024 season concludes.

Perhaps that question seems insane given what the Panthers gave up to the Chicago Bears on March 10, 2023 to acquire the No. 1 overall pick to ultimately select Young.

The Panthers hope that a stable coaching environment, personnel upgrades on the interior offensive line and at wide receiver will give Young a better chance to succeed.

If Young replicates his disastrous 2023 season, the Panthers would be foolish to not consider moving on from him. The worst thing any football team can do is to stick with or double down on a bad investment.

Unlike 2024, the Panthers still own their first round draft pick for 2025. If the Panthers earn the first or second pick, they must consider a reset at the quarterback position. They wouldn’t necessarily need to draft a quarterback in April if they sign one that could be available in free agency.

Each day that goes by without a deal, Dak Prescott inches closer to being a free agent in March. The Dallas Cowboys cannot tag him. Sure, Prescott has his faults but he would provide stability at the quarterback position. You know what you’re getting. It’s a possibility that the Panthers must strongly consider if Young shows he isn’t the guy.

On Sunday, Young will begin his quest to prove that he is the guy. If he shows he can succeed in a stable environment, kudos to him. If he flounders again, the Panthers must move on.

GAME SLANT

As offensive coordinator in Tampa Bay last season, Dave Canales operated with 6 offensive linemen or two or more tight ends 27 percent of the time, which ranked 17th in the league.

Meanwhile, the Panthers only did that 10 percent of the time, which was 30th. Those stats are courtesy of Aaron Schatz’s FTN Football Almanac 2024.

It’s safe to assume that Canales would like to utilize more 12 personnel this season. However, that could be a problem on Sunday. Veterans Ian Thomas and Tommy Tremble will miss the game due to injury. That leaves the tight end room with rookies Ja’Tavion Sanders and Messiah Swinson (just signed this week) and veteran Jordan Matthews.

Matthews is the lone veteran of the group, but he’s a converted tight end. With an inexperienced tight end group, I’ll be curious to see how Canales deploys his tight ends on Sunday.

Sanders has a massive opportunity on Sunday to show he can be the most reliable receiving threat at the position since Greg Olsen was on the team.

The Panthers must find a way to start fast against the Saints. The fan base down there is not going to be patient with Derek Carr and Dennis Allen. If the Panthers can jump on the Saints early, the home crowd will turn hostile to their own quickly.

THE PARKER PARLAY

If you choose to gamble on the game Sunday, do so responsibly and don’t let it ruin your mood.

I placed a small wager for the game on Sunday via DraftKings Sportsbook.

THE MENU

Football and wings are an undefeated combo on game days. I’m firing up the Traeger and will cook up some smoked cajun wings with homemade ranch and bleu cheese for dipping. We’ll also have chips, salsa, cheese dip and more. I’ll have a recap on Monday, with photos of course!