How Adam Thielen’s absence could affect the Panthers offense

Adam Thielen will miss some time with a hamstring injury. How will his absence affect a freshly-rejuvenated Panthers offense?

The vibes were pretty much immaculate for the Carolina Panthers this past Sunday—as they stunned the Las Vegas Raiders in an electric, feel-good 36-22 win. Heck, the recently-demoted Bryce Young even appeared to be having some fun from the bench.

But not all was well.

Nearly halfway through the Week 3 upset, quarterback Andy Dalton found wideout Adam Thielen for an absolute beauty of a 31-yard touchdown connection. The receiving end of the score, however, resulted in a hamstring injury for Thielen—one that will sideline the veteran for at least four weeks.

That, of course, isn’t great news—especially for an offense that has just come to life under their new starting quarterback. Even at 34 years old, Thielen is still a featured piece of Carolina’s puzzle.

So, what should we expect to see on offense in his absence?

Here are a few thoughts . . .

The importance of Diontae Johnson

Johnson was considered a key cog for Carolina’s passing game as soon as he was acquired back in March. Heck, he’s the cog.

Here’s what head coach Dave Canales had to say this summer about shaping the aerial attack around the former Pro Bowl wideout:

“As we build our offense, we really try to feature someone. And for us right now—where’s Diontae Johnson at? We have our progressions and we’re gonna move him around our formation. But the rest of the guys have to come alive as the coverage is dictated.”

Johnson himself has come alive after a deathly-quiet start—notching a career-high 122 receiving yards and a touchdown on eight grabs in Week 3. That performance saw him targeted a total of 14 times by Dalton, who was at his most decisive when looking Johnson’s way.

We saw a similar dynamic from Dalton’s lone start in 2023, when he found Thielen for 11 catches, 145 yards and a score on 14 targets against the Seattle Seahawks. Like Johnson, Thielen is seen as a go-to receiver by Dalton—which would’ve given Carolina two very safe and reliable options moving forward.

But now that there’s one, it’s up to Johnson to solidify his role as Dalton’s best bud.

It’s time for the youngsters to step up

A certain first-round receiver was jonesing for some action recently. And well, he’s probably going to be getting it.

Rookie Xavier Legette will presumably step up into a more featured position. The explosive 6-foot-3, 227-pounder is already reaping the benefits under a new quarterback, as he ripped off a 35-yard catch-and-run from Dalton on Sunday.

He should be joined by Jonathan Mingo, who is looking to make some sort of positive statement after a disappointing rookie campaign in 2023. The next man up on the depth chart, Mingo should get more burn in the absence of Thielen.

Oh, and don’t overlook Jalen Coker either. The undrafted rookie, who has now been promoted to the active roster in Thielen’s absence, quickly caught Canales’ eye in the spring and went on to be Carolina’s leading receiver in the summer.

Who mans the slot?

Thielen was deployed mostly out of the slot, where he saw 73.1 percent of his snaps. His 57 looks from the inside also lead the offense.

But who will take the reins on that spot now?

Canales might not be afraid to get creative. As the offensive coordinator of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2023, he played the 6-foot-5, 231-pound Mike Evans out of the slot on 29.4 percent of his snaps—the fourth-highest mark of the future Hall of Famer’s 11-year career.

The highest shares from the slot, however, showed up with the speedsters. Trey Palmer and Deven Thompkins, whom the Panthers rostered this offseason, led the Bucs in slot deployment at 55.4 percent and 64.7 percent, respectively.

Carolina, however, doesn’t really have a speedy slot merchant. Outside of Johnson, Legette, Mingo and Coker, the only other wideout on the active roster is veteran David Moore.

So, yeah, creativity will likely have to come into play. And as of now, Mingo has seen the second-most looks out of the slot (30) through Week 3.

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Biggest storylines for Panthers vs. Raiders in Week 3

Will the Panthers get lucky in Las Vegas with Red 14 on Sunday?

Will the Carolina Panthers finally start finding themselves some winnings out west this weekend?

Here are the biggest storylines for their Week 3 matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders . . .

Roulette

The Panthers placed all of their chips on quarterback Bryce Young in 2023. But since No. 9 has yet to hit, they’ve now moved their pieces to Red 14.

14th-year veteran Andy Dalton was named the team’s new starter after a disappointing two-game stretch to begin the season. Carolina’s 0-2 start saw Young throw for just 245 yards and three interceptions while leading the offense to only one touchdown and two successful third-down conversions on 22 tries.

Dalton will not be expected to have all the answers for this struggling unit. But the 36-year-old and three-time Pro Bowler should carry in a bit of confidence under center, something that spot had been lacking with Young.

Jackpot

In addition to some knowhow and conviction, Dalton should also bring the deep ball back to the Carolina offense.

That too has been an element the Panthers were deprived of under Young—who averaged under three passing attempts of at least 20 yards downfield in his 18 career games. Dalton, in his lone start for the Panthers in 2023, threw seven such passes.

Opening up the field may help ignite a few pass catchers, including rookie Xavier Legette. The first-round pick, who was targeted zero times in last week’s 26-3 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, specifically made note of Dalton’s deep ball prowess on Thursday.

Hold ‘Em

Carolina’s defense had issues against the run even with a fully healthy lineup. Unfortunately, they’re not fully healthy anymore.

Not only will the Panthers continue to be without Pro Bowler Derrick Brown, but they could also be missing fellow starting defensive linemen A’Shawn Robinson (questionable) and Shy Tuttle (doubtful). This is not particularly great news for a group that allowed the second-most rushing yards (399) through Week 2.

They will, however, be facing the league’s least productive ground game in Las Vegas. The Raiders averaged just 49.0 rushing yards between their first two outings, 19 fewer yards than the next closest team.

So if the Panthers cannot stop that, then good luck from here on out.

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3 key matchups for Raiders vs Panthers

At first glance, it would appear the Panthers don’t have a lot going for them. That may be true. But they’re still an NFL team with NFL players who can jump up and bite you if you’re not careful.

And the Raiders may be coming off an impressive comeback win against the Ravens in Baltimore, but that doesn’t mean they’ve clearly established themselves as some elite team. They still have to prove it over the season with their opponents collecting more and more game tape on them.

These matchups could play a major role in the outcome of this game.

CB Jack Jones vs WR Xavier Legette

Legette was the Panthers’ top pick in this year’s draft. He led the team in catches (4) in the opener, but didn’t see a target last week in a loss to the Chargers. Now the Chargers have benched Bryce Young in favor of Andy Dalton, which figures to at least awaken the pass game. This would, in turn, see Legette get some more targets as their best receiver.

Legette will face off against a fiery competitor in Jack Jones who has great hands as well to make Dalton pay for any mistakes.

TE Brock Bowers vs Xavier Woods/Jordan Fuller

Woods and Fuller are the safeties for the Panthers. They will switch off in trying to keep the Raiders phenom tight end under wraps. Bowers has 15 catches already this season and is proving himself to be a top target for Gardner Minshew. You can bet on any given play either Woods or Fuller will guarding Bowers.

DE Maxx Crosby vs T Taylor Moton

Moton will be tasked with trying to keep Crosby from wrecking this game. The veteran tackle is no slouch. This is his seventh season as the Panthers’ full time starting right tackle. And he’s never missed a game. So, it’s safe to say there isn’t a caliber of edge rusher in this league he hasn’t faced. Including last week when he faced Khalil Mack and Joey Bosa. The only sack allowed was not on Moton, but Bryce Young for not stepping up into the pocket.

Andy Dalton will need at least a bit of time to try and find an open receiver. He can’t be worrying he’s going to get smacked in under two seconds on every play or running for his life all day. That’s what Crosby did to Justin Herbert and Lamar Jackson the first two weeks. Last week against the Ravens, he went on to win AFC Defensive Player of the Week.

Panthers WR Xavier Legette admits frustration over not being targeted in Week 2

Panthers rookie WR Xavier Legette admitted that he was a little frustrated after not being targeted in this past week’s home opener.

Carolina Panthers wideout Xavier Legette hasn’t exactly burst onto the NFL scene just yet. But the rookie receiver knows that there are still plenty of opportunities left for him here in 2024.

Legette spoke with reporters following Thursday’s practice, the team’s second official session ahead of their Week 3 contest against the Las Vegas Raiders. The first-round pick was asked about his outing from the Week 2 contest, where was targeted zero times in a 26-3 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.

“It’s a little frustrating,” he said. “But, I mean, we got 15 more games. So I can’t dwell on that. I just gotta see what’s out there for me this upcoming game.”

This upcoming game will have a different quarterback under center, 14th-year veteran Andy Dalton. The three-time Pro Bowler will replace second-passer and 2023 No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young, who tossed for just 245 yards and three interceptions in Carolina’s first two games.

So, Legette was asked what he’s looking forward to working on with Dalton this Sunday.

“Ah man, the deep ball,” he replied. “That’s something I feel like I’m good at, and that’s something that we’ve been working every day at practice.”

Xavier Legette was a little frustrated after not being targeted last week but isn’t dwelling on it. Says he looks forward some deep ball opportunities with Andy Dalton. #Panthers pic.twitter.com/51WUq3HQg8

— Sheena Quick (@Sheena_Marie3) September 19, 2024

Legette enters Week 3 with four receptions and 35 receiving yards.

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Key things to know about Chargers’ Week 2 opponent: Panthers

Here are some important things to know about the Panthers ahead of the Week 2 matchup with the Chargers.

The Chargers are on the road to face the Panthers on Sunday, Sept. 15, at 10:00 a.m. PT.

To get you prepped for the Week 2 bout, here are five key things to know about Los Angeles’ opponent ahead of the matchup.

Offseason rebuild

After finishing 2-15 last season, a new coaching staff and front office members were brought in. Dave Canales is in his first season as head coach for the Panthers. Canales spent his first 13 seasons with the Seahawks (2010-22) in various offensive roles before serving as the offensive coordinator of the Buccaneers in 2023.

Bryce looking to bounce back

The Panthers selected quarterback Bryce Young with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft. Young’s rookie season wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows, as he completed just 315 of 527 pass attempts for 2,877 yards, 10 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He only surpassed 200 passing yards in just five games. In the season opener last Sunday against the Saints, Young did not look much improved as a passer, completing 13 of 30 passes for 161 yards and two interceptions. Even with an upgraded receiver room, with Diontae Johnson and first-round pick Xavier Legette, Young still struggled to connect with them, overthrowing them on a few throws.

Defense was dominated

The Panthers bolstered their defense in the spring, signing defensive tackle A’Shawn Robinson, linebacker Josey Jewell, edge defender Jadeveon Clowney, cornerback Dane Jackson and safety Jordan Fuller. Despite the additions, the product on the field was nothing to write home about. The Saints put up 47 points on the scoreboard. New Orleans scored on every one of its first nine possessions of the game. Carolina gave up 379 total yards, 180 of which came on the ground.

Star defender out for the season

The Panthers will be without Pro Bowl defensive tackle Derrick Brown, who suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 1. The anchor of the defensive front, Brown just signed a four-year, $96 million contract extension this offseason. Brown is coming off a career year in which he amassed 103 tackles and 15 for loss.

Look out for…

Offensive lineman Robert Hunt. Usually, a skill player would be slotted here, but I’m highlighting the 100-million-dollar man. Previously with the Dolphins, Hunt has proven himself as one of the best right guards in the NFL. It will be a fun matchup in the trenches between him and Poona Ford and Otito Ogbonnia, who are both coming off dominant performances.

Panthers HC Dave Canales calls WR Xavier Legette’s NFL debut ‘fantastic’

Panthers HC Dave Canales was rather pleased with how rookie WR Xavier Legette looked in his NFL debut this past Sunday.

So far, so good for Carolina Panthers wideout Xavier Legette.

The rookie receiver was a topic of conversation for head coach Dave Canales this afternoon, when he took the lectern after Wednesday’s outing of practice. Canales was asked how he thought the 23-year-old fared in his first regular-season game this past Sunday.

“Fantastic,” he replied. “He’s big and fast, he played fast. There’s a difference. When young guys get out there, sometimes what can happen with guys is—they get paralyzed by the picture moving so quickly. He played fast. He really did.

“He gave us a chance on a bunch of plays. Bryce [Young] had a nice couple throws to him in different situations. But his reactions to what happened is what I was so pleased about.”

Legette was targeted seven times by Young throughout the 47-10 loss to the New Orleans Saints. Of those seven looks, he reeled in four for 35 yards.

And while Canales was rather satisfied with his first-round pick’s NFL debut, he still kept the situation in perspective.

“I’m not crowning him,” Canales added of Legette. “He’s got a long way to go. He’s got a lot of work to clean up his details. All those things. But I was really happy with the way he came out and the way he performed.”

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Studs and duds from Panthers’ Week 1 loss to Saints

Panthers QB Bryce Young delivered a big ol’ dud to kick off the 2024 season.

Every week here on the “Studs and duds” post, we set out to identify the best and worst performers from each outing for the Carolina Panthers. And yeah, it’s not been a simple task finding many studs for this team in recent years.

Unfortunately, that task did not get simpler to start the new campaign—as the Panthers ate an ugly 47-10 loss at the hands of the New Orleans Saints this afternoon.

But hey, we can try to find at least a little light to go with the darkness, right?

Here are our studs and duds from Sunday . . .

Stud: WR Xavier Legette

Let’s start out with a positive in the rookie Legette, who was solid in his opportunities. The 2024 first-rounder reeled in four receptions for 35 yards and even took back a kick for a 28-yard return.

Dud: QB Bryce Young

Young’s “comeback” campaign from a rough rookie year got off to an abysmal start. The 2023 No. 1 overall pick, who was errant on a number of his attempts throughout the day, completed just 13 of his 30 passes for 161 yards and two interceptions—including one on his very first chuck of 2024.

Dud: RB Chuba Hubbard

With a bunch of offseason talk about the Panthers wanting to ground-and-pound their opponents, the team’s No. 1 rusher seemed to be lined up for a productive day. Hubbard, however, totaled six carries for 14 yards and was not targeted through the air.

Stud: LB Shaq Thompson

We’ll get to his teammates in a bit, but Thompson did all he could to keep the Panthers from being completely run off the turf at Caesars Superdome. The 10th-year veteran notched a game-high 10 tackles, two of which went for losses.

Dud: DC Ejiro Evero

Evero’s defense was outmatched from the get-go, allowing a 59-yard touchdown pass between quarterback Derek Carr and wideout Rashid Shaheed on the opening possession of the game. They’d proceed to let the Saints score in each of their next eight (yes, eight) drives.

New Orleans’ 47-total output set a new franchise record for a season opener.

Stud: KR Raheem Blackshear

The defense’s futility made Blackshear a very, very busy man—as he had to field eight kickoff returns. So let’s give him and his 204 yards of work some recognition.

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Carolina Panthers vs. New Orleans Saints game recap: Everything we know

Let’s be nice and just say that the Panthers didn’t exactly get off to a roaring start in 2024 . . .

Unfortunately, the beginning of the latest chapter for Carolina Panthers football looked a lot like the previous story.

Here’s everything we know from Sunday’s regular-season opener in New Orleans . . .

Final score: Saints 47, Panthers 10

Keys to the game

The Panthers were beat by their offense, which converted on one of their 10 third-down attempts and one of their three fourth-down tries.. Quarterback Bryce Young, who was largely errant on the afternoon, completed just 13 of his 30 throws for 161 yards and a pair of interceptions.
They were also beat by their defense, which allowed New Orleans to score on every one of their first nine possessions of the game. Carolina ended up relinquishing 379 total yards and a Saints franchise record for points in an opener.
Oh, and they were even beat on special teams. The Saints got four field goals from kicker Blake Grupe, a 47-yard punt return from wideout Rashid Shaheed and a blocked punt from tight end Juwuan Johnson—who also scored one of the team’s five touchdowns.

It was over when . . .

. . . it started.

The Saints never allowed the Panthers a centimeter of oxygen, dialing up a 59-yard touchdown pass to Shaheed on the very first possession of the afternoon. Then, on Carolina’s very first touch, Young was picked off on his very first pass of the season by cornerback Will Harris.

New Orleans never even thought of looking back, scoring on each of their next eight drives.

Players of the game

LB Shaq Thompson: 10 tackles (two for a loss)
WR Adam Thielen: three receptions, 49 yards
WR Xavier Legette: four receptions, 35 yards, 28-yard kick return

What’s next?

The Panthers (0-1) will host the Los Angeles Chargers in their home opener next Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.

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Biggest storylines for Panthers vs. Saints in Week 1

The Panthers are set to relaunch QB Bryce Young on Sunday. And this time, it’ll be with HC Dave Canales behind him.

Whether you consider it a rebuild or a retool, the return of Carolina Panthers football comes this Sunday. So, what should we keep in mind as the organization begins anew once again?

Here are the top storylines for Sunday’s regular-season opener against the New Orleans Saints:

The relaunch of Bryce Young

Carolina has put all of their chips on No. 9. And when we say “all of their chips,” that includes star wideout DJ Moore and four high-end draft picks—one of which eventually became 2024’s No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams.

But the initial return on 2023’s No. 1 overall pick was not great . . . at all. Bryce Young passed for just 179.8 yards per game and 11 touchdowns while leading not only the worst offense in the league, but also one of the most futile in the history of the franchise.

The organization placed another big chip on Young this offseason, hiring first-year head coach Dave Canales—who helped spark career campaigns for Seattle’s Geno Smith and Tampa Bay’s Baker Mayfield over the last two years. Thus far, the relationship between Young and Canales seems to be going swimmingly, with the former receiving rave reviews throughout the offseason.

Will that success, however, translate when the real action starts on Sunday?

Let the rooks cook?

Simply hiring a quarterback whisperer wouldn’t be enough. After bringing in Canales and spending a boatload on a pair of new starting guards, the Panthers put down more chips on Young by selecting receiver Xavier Legette and tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders in this year’s draft.

Legette, the team’s first-round pick, may be moved along slowly and surely. With Diontae Johnson, Adam Thielen and Jonathan Mingo above him in the pecking order as of now, the somewhat raw 23-year-old is likely to have a relatively quiet debut.

Sanders, on the other hand, may be stepping right into the fire. Starters Tommy Tremble and Ian Thomas have been ruled out for the contest, potentially giving the fourth-rounder a featured role in his very first regular-season game.

On edge

Despite holding their opponents to the fourth-fewest yards per game last season, the Panthers defense was the absolute worst in the NFL at getting to the quarterback. And when you saddle their league-low 27 sacks with the losses of Brian Burns, Frankie Luvu and Yetur Gross-Matos—their three leading producers in that stat from 2023—that’s probably a recipe for disaster.

That concern has been amplified by what they have (or haven’t) replenished their pass-rushing department with this offseason. Three-time Pro Bowler and former No. 1 overall selection Jadeveon Clowney will serve as one of the two outside linebackers—and that’s okay. But with their other big free-agent signing at the position, D.J. Wonnum, starting the season on the physically unable to perform list, Carolina is exceptionally thin off the edge.

Defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero will be going into Sunday with just three outside ‘backers on the active roster other than Clowney—DJ Johnson, Eku Leota and rookie Jamie Sheriff. They have combined for a grand total of zero sacks in the NFL.

So, where will Evero and the Panthers get their pass rush from?

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3 bold predictions for the 2024 Panthers

Join us as we make three bold predictions for the Panthers’ 2024 season.

This weekend marks the debut of the Carolina Panthers under first-year head coach Dave Canales and his reimagined roster. Many new pieces were added this season as the team works to build around its potential franchise quarterback, Bryce Young.

And with the team about to kick off their campaign in New Orleans on Sunday, maybe it’s time for some bold predictions!

So whether you think these forecasts are within reasonable range or just plain ol’ crazy, let’s have some fun . . .

Jadeveon Clowney sets new career-high in sacks

Never, in a decade’s worth of play in the NFL, has this hometown hero tallied more than 9.5 sacks in a single season. He reached that mark twice—first with the Houston Texans in 2017, and then with the Baltimore Ravens in 2023.

This year, Clowney joins the Panthers looking to help them to their first playoff berth in seven years. He’s known for being one of the best edge-setting defenders in the league while being an adequate pass rusher for most of his career.

However, the 2014 No. 1 overall selection has never lived up to the expectations he was given coming into the league as a true pass rusher. This year, that changes.

Clowney had one of the most dominant summers of any Panthers defender over the last few years and looks primed for a big campaign. I believe he is aging like fine wine and is getting better as the years add up.

This year, Clowney gets 10.5 sacks for a defense that is desperate for pass-rush production.

Four rookies start by Week 18

This prediction is already off to a great start.

The Panthers announced on Friday that incumbent starters Tommy Tremble (hamstring/back) and Ian Thomas (calf) would be out Week 1—paving the way for fourth-round tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders to start in his first career game. Canales said Friday that Sanders has already been working with the first-team offense, which could give him an advantage down the stretch.

First-round wide receiver Xavier Legette, second-round running back Jonathon Brooks, third-round linebacker Trevin Wallace, Sanders and fifth-round cornerback Chau Smith-Wade are candidates to receive plenty of snaps as the season goes along. There is a strong chance that four of these five draft choices are starting by the end of the year, especially with general manager Dan Morgan looking for some “dawgs” to move forward with.

If I were to choose the players that are starting for Carolina as rookies by the end of the season, my picks are Legette at the outside Z, Brooks in the backfield, Sanders becoming Young’s go-to security blanket and Smith-Wade at the nickel.

Given the roles of veteran linebackers Shaq Thompson and Josey Jewell, I don’t see Wallace as an established starter by Week 18. It’s hard to imagine he unseats either of them in 2024.

Panthers finish top-10 in rushing yards

Canales is a coach who will want to run the football, and even stressed it himself. This is a unit that is likely to be a run-first offense that opens up the passing game for Young and his group of playmakers.

This spells good news for Chuba Hubbard, Miles Sanders and Brooks—once he returns to the field. All three bring a different aspect to the Panthers’ ground game that will force defenses to adjust accordingly.

Hubbard is a one-cut, downhill runner who will add a second effort to get that one extra yard when being tackled. Despite his inconsistencies and struggles last season, Sanders will add value as a change-of-pace back who possesses a receiving skill set and slashing play style. Brooks is the most explosive of the three, adding a third-down ability in pass protection and as a receiver.

This trio will be the reason why the Panthers break the 2,000-yard mark as a team, thanks to their efforts and Canales’ likely stubbornness toward the run game.

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