The Carolina Panthers fell flat on the road after a dominant showing against the Atlanta Falcons. It doesn’t matter that there were obvious and—in some cases—correctable causes for the loss against the Cleveland Browns, this loss still stings. I mean, they’re still the Browns.
During the loss, the team lost Jaycee Horn to a quad injury for what will likely be the rest of the season. They also lost Damien Lewis to an elbow injury for at least a few weeks. We expect to see Jalen Coker return against
the Detroit Lions this week but, honestly, who’s to say he won’t walk under a piano that is being hoisted up to a penthouse by one precarious rope or trip over somebody’s shadow and fall down an open manhole? Theses things happen, or so I’m told, and only when it would be narratively convenient.
The truth of the Carolina Panthers season remains that it will only be as successful as Bryce Young can make it. Taking away his already dubious protection and threatening his weapons does not sound like a recipe for success. But this weekly confidence survey is not meant to ask “will the Panthers win this week?” so much as “are Dan Morgan and Dave Canales building and running a team that will be better off in the long term?”
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NFL. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Panthers fans and fans across the country.
