The Panthers came out of Sunday’s loss to Tampa Bay with more questions than answers, and right guard Robert Hunt was right in the middle of the most glaring one.
Hunt entered Week 7 tied for the NFL lead in penalties, but he at least avoided a flag against the Buccaneers. That was about the only clean part of his afternoon. Early in the second quarter, with Carolina already trailing 10-0, Bryce Young was stripped by outside linebacker Al-Quadin Muhammad, and the turnover turned into a touchdown when defensive lineman Calijah Kancey scooped up the loose ball and took it back to make the hole even deeper.
And if you’re wondering who Muhammad beat to get to Young, the answer points straight back to Hunt.
The Panthers’ 43-13 loss was ugly on both sides of the ball, but the offense didn’t hold up its end either. Young finished with three turnovers, throwing two interceptions to go with the fumble, and he was sacked five times.
The damage along the offensive line didn’t stop there. Right tackle Taylor Moton was carted off during the defeat, and head coach Dave Canales later confirmed Moton suffered a fractured fibula and will miss time.
That makes the final numbers sting even more for a unit that opened the week ranked No. 2 overall and No. 4 in scoring. Instead of backing up those rankings, Carolina managed just 266 total yards and 13 points, while leaving behind plenty of concern up front.
In Other News...
Panthers Secondary Could Get A Huge Boost At The Right Time
Carolinas secondary may be getting some relief soon after spending two games without starting defensive backs Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson. Ahead of Week 7, head coach Dave Canales said both are recovering and moving in the right direction, a welcome update for a defense that has had to patch things together on the back end while waiting for its top corners to work back into the mix.
Horn is eager to keep progressing in his recovery, while Jackson has started to regain the speed and change-of-direction ability he needs to get back on the field. The Panthers could open their practice window in the coming weeks, which would at least give the team a better sense of how close it is to getting two important pieces back at a time when every bit of stability in the secondary matters. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Defense Just Took Another Hit Before Buccaneers Game
The Panthers entered their matchup with Tampa Bay already dealing with a defense that has been patched together for weeks, and the latest inactive list only adds to the strain. Jaelan Phillips is out with a hamstring injury, while Thomas Incoom has been moved to injured reserve because of a calf issue, leaving Carolina to keep leaning on its next wave of depth.
Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson are still on injured reserve as they work back from significant injuries, which has made the secondary a constant juggling act. To help fill the gaps, Carolina elevated Nick Hampton and Robert Rochell from the practice squad and activated Bam Martin-Scott from injured reserve, another reminder of how thin the margin has become on that side of the ball. [Read more 🡒]
Bryce Young Just Changed What Panthers Fans Should Expect
The Panthers offense has looked like a different operation this season, with Carolina sitting near the top of the league in both production and scoring. Derrick Brown has seen enough up close to point to Brad Idzik and Bryce Young as two of the biggest reasons for the jump, and it is a notable shift for a team that has spent recent seasons trying to find any real offensive traction.
Brown also put a practical standard on where this group should be headed, saying the goal is to get to the second round of the playoffs. For a Carolina team that has spent a long time chasing stability, that kind of expectation says plenty about how much the offense has raised the bar and how much more the Panthers now believe is possible. [Read more 🡒]