What We Learned from the Panthers Week Four Meltdown

The Patriots thoroughly handled the Panthers in Week Four. After a successful Week Three, the Panthers have come crashing back to earth in a terrible defeat. The team as a whole looked disjointed throughout the game. It is not far-fetched to believe that some profound changes might be on the horizon.

The Panthers' offense appeared anemic, lacking significant playmakers. The Patriots' defense held Chuba Hubbard to under 50 rushing yards—a considerable step back for one of the bright spots of the offense. Hubbard’s lackluster performance can be attributed to the absence of key offensive linemen. There is very little depth behind Hubbard, with rookie Trevor Etienne and veteran Rico Dowdle being ineffective. The running game was abandoned mainly due to the massive deficit the Panthers faced. 

Bryce Young completed less than 50% of his passes for only 150 yards. Young didn’t throw an interception this week, which is an improvement. He also only took one sack. The main issue with Young is his and the offense's ability to move the ball effectively. Time is ticking for Young in Carolina, and I believe that Young will be gone before head coach Dave Canales.

Tetairoa McMillian continues to impress. Once again, he led the team in receptions and receiving yards. McMillan is the clear number one in Carolina, and it should remain that way moving forward. Tommy Tremble proved himself and played his way into the starting position moving forward. Tremble led the team in receptions and scored the lone touchdown on the day. The Panthers are a passing team, and their passing attack is not working. Coach Canales will have a lot to answer for in the coming week. As an offense-minded coach, the Panthers are ranking very low in total offense. 

The defense gave up three rushing touchdowns. Despite the three rushing touchdowns, the defense largely kept the Patriots’ rushing attack contained. Hold the Patriots to only 104 rushing yards—a far cry from the Week One disaster. The larger issue is that the secondary gave up 101 receiving yards to Stefon Diggs. Diggs is a stud, but this is essentially the reason the Patriots were in so many positions for rushing touchdowns. 

The state of the Carolina Panthers is beginning to look grim once again. Another losing season would be detrimental to every part of the team. I can see owner David Tepper stepping in far before the end of the season. Previous head coach Frank Reich didn’t make it through his sole season in Carolina, and Canales is in his second year, with no considerable improvement. The Panthers will hope to make a splash against a struggling Dolphins team next week at home.