The Buffalo Bills are coming to Charlotte to see if Andy Dalton wants to play. A home game with a healthy offensive line sets the Panthers up to have a strong rushing attack, but Dalton’s capacity to still
play professional football may decide how the game ultimately unfolds.
There’s a lot to be said about the vulnerabilities of the Bills. The weakness of their rush defense has been talked about all week. The paucity of talent across the wide receiver position has held Josh Allen back all season. Allen himself has looked less than his previous MVP-caliber self in a few games. They are, by reputation, a Good Team that may not actually be great this season. That means the potential for a confidence and reputation boost for the Panthers is large today. If they can beat this vulnerable team then they walk into Week 9 at 5-3, heads held high, and looking entirely differently at the rest of their season.
The Carolina Panthers are not, nor have they been in recent memory, a Good Team. They are an actively rebuilding team with question marks stacked on question marks almost every where you look on the depth chart. The biggest questions lie at the quarterback position. Bryce Young is out today. Dalton will start. If the Bills or Dalton force the Panthers to be a one-dimensional team then they probably lose this game by a comfortable margin.
Again, the hopes for what today could mean to a long-struggling franchise are high. I’m just not confident that the odds are in their favor. I suppose we’ll see.
This is your open thread to follow along with all the action today.
You know the drill.
This is now an open thread!
