With another tally to the loss column and another quarterback potentially in the waste bucket, the Carolina Panthers are already in line for a disappointing 2024 campaign.
Let’s see where they stand across the power rankings following their Week 2 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers . . .
USA TODAY
Author: Nate Davis
Rank: 32 (-1)
Take: “If Joe Flacco could come off the couch to save the Browns at age 38 a year ago, why shouldn’t Andy Dalton be able to do it at age 36 by simply turning his clipboard, er tablet, over to Bryce Young after the team stunningly pulled the ripcord on him after two 2024 starts?”
NFL.com
Author: Eric Edholm
Rank: 32 (-)
Take: “With just under four minutes left in the first half Sunday, the Panthers — trailing 13-0 — gained their first first down of the game. Then, on the next play, Bryce Young forced an interception into traffic. Three plays later, J.K. Dobbins somersaulted into the end zone for a 43-yard TD, pushing the Bolts’ advantage to 20-0, and that was all she wrote. The Panthers mustered two 40-yard drives on Sunday; the rest came in at 13 yards or fewer. Carolina crossed the Los Angeles 43-yard line on exactly one possession. The Panthers ran one red-zone play, and it ended in an incompletion. This offense is somehow worse than last year’s so far, averaging fewer than 15 yards per possession. On Monday, Dave Canales made a massive switch, benching Young and turning the ball over to Andy Dalton. It’s a bold call that also might be the right one. Young looks underwater for the first three quarters of every game, and he’s barely treading by the end. This might mark a setback in Young’s already-slow development, but this team can’t score with him right now.
ESPN
Author: David Newton
Rank: 32 (-)
Take (on most important role player/backup): “Yes, the Panthers are a mess all around, particularly at quarterback with Bryce Young’s struggles through the first two weeks leading to his benching. But if any member of the starting offensive line goes down, it could get even worse. Christensen has shown he’s capable of being a starter at guard and tackle, and he’s now the backup center for Austin Corbett. Talk about multitasking.”
CBS Sports
Author: Pete Prisco
Rank: 32 (-)
Take: “They hope benching Bryce Young for Andy Dalton can liven up things. It won’t be any worse. But what does that mean for Young?”
Pro Football Talk
Author: Mike Florio
Rank: 32 (-)
Take: “David Tepper is just another former Steelers minority owner who has no idea how to be a competent majority owner.”
Yahoo Sports
Author: Frank Schwab
Rank: 32 (-1)
Take: “Benching Bryce Young after two games is shocking. Young hadn’t done anything to deserve to keep his QB job, but it’s hard to remember a team giving up on a No. 1 overall draft pick so quickly. The Panthers could still turn back to Young and he could revive his career, but there’s not much reason for that kind of optimism after Monday’s news.”
