Bryce Young may still be at the helm, but the Carolina Panthers have new players in pivotal positions and new leadership at the top with head coach Dave Canales. That’s going to mean new challenges for the New Orleans Saints in Sunday’s regular season kickoff game.
We may see a much-improved quarterback. Not only does Young have a year of experience under his belt, he also has a new offensive mind leading the way. Canales alone has the ability to change Young’s fortune. It worked for Geno Smith and Baker Mayfield under Canales’ leadership.
The Panthers also added Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis up front. Defensive end Cameron Jordan alluded to these signings ahead of the New Orleans Saints showdown with the Panthers in Week 1. Jordan said the Panthers have “Darn near a whole new offensive line. For sure a new offensive coordinator. Everything’s sort of different.”
With the changes there’s only one focus, themselves. Jordan knows they have to game plan for a different version of Carolina but feels, “At the same time it’s about us. We’re going to have to play our calls, play our techniques. We have to focus on what we know we can be successful at.”
That’s often the case in Week 1 because of offseason changes to each team. That emphasis multiplies when the team brings in a new head coach.
