So, anything interesting happen with the Carolina Panthers this week?
Here are the biggest storylines heading into Sunday's matchup against the Denver Broncos :
Panthers quarterback Bryce Young recently admitted that he was not " externally motivated " by his benching back in Week 3. But if he didn't take the demotion personally at first, now might be the time to do so.
As utterly insane as this will sound, the No. 1 overall selection of last year's NFL draft may be on his last chance with the team who chose him. And not only did they choose him, they invested quite heavily into him— trading two first-round picks, two second-round picks and a very good wideout to jump the line for the former Heisman Trophy winner.
Fast forward to now, Week 8 of the 2024 season, and Young will go from backup to starter in replacing an injured Andy Dalton —who sprained his right thumb in a minor car accident on Tuesday. When asked if the 23-year-old could regain the starting job from the 14th-year veteran, head coach Dave Canales seemed rather non-committal in his reply.
So, yeah, it may be now or never again for Bryce in Carolina.
For Young to potentially change the course of his Panthers career, he'll have to shake off the weaknesses that plagued him in the first two outings of the season—where he threw for only 250 yards and three interceptions in a pair of losses. He—as he did so routinely in college—must keep his composure, scan the field with confidence and let it rip.
If Bryce can remind this organization why they drafted him in the first place, he might be able to rewrite what's been a remarkably disappointing chapter in franchise history.
Young, of course, will also need some help. But, uh . . . the best of what the Panthers have to offer will not be offered to him on Sunday.
The team's top wideouts in Diontae Johnson and Adam Thielen have both been ruled out due to injury. Young won't have his unit's go-to 'X' nor the safety valve who often helped him through a rough rookie campaign.
That'll leave him and the offense with a batch of youngsters leading the position—2023 second-round pick Jonathan Mingo , 2024 first-round Xavier Legette and undrafted rookie Jalen Coker . While Legette and Coker have had some early success , this probably isn't a group a quarterback would love to have in such a weighty start.
Oh, and lest we forget who they'll be facing.
Denver boasts one of the league's most effective and suffocating defenses. The Broncos rank first in pass rush win rate, third in pressure rate and second in sacks while allowing the third-fewest yards per game and the third-fewest points per game.
From a dynamic defense to a dull one, Carolina has provided very little resistance to opposing offenses.
Last Sunday, the Commanders dropped a whopper of a 40-burger on the Panthers . . . and they only had their starting quarterback for one drive. An early ribs injury knocked out star rookie Jayden Daniels and gave way to backup Marcus Mariota , who completed 18 of his 23 throws (78.3 percent) for 205 yards, two touchdowns and a 132.8 passer rating.
By the end of Week 7, the Panthers—who are really feeling the effects of their own high-profile injuries on defense—sunk even lower to the bottom of the ranks. They've now allowed 385.7 total yards per game (third-most) and 34.7 points per game—almost seven more than the next closest team.
Well, at least they're not facing a vengeful coach who has a reputation of running up the scoreboard . . .
Oh . . . hey, Sean.
The Panthers will face off against a familiar foe in Sean Payton, who routinely battled the franchise for 15 years as the head coach of the New Orleans Saints . Payton's Saints, from 2006 to 2021, went 17-13 against Carolina and weren't shy to relentlessly light up the scoreboard.
While his offense isn't as high-powered as it was in the NFC South, Payton heads into Week 8 with a unit that's hitting a stride—particularly on the ground. Rookie quarterback Bo Nix and running back Javonte Williams ran all over Dennis Allen's Saints for 75 and 88 yards, respectively, in Week 7.
Those fiery feet won't bode well for the Panthers, who have relinquished the most rushing yards per contest (162.1).
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This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: Biggest storylines for Panthers vs. Broncos in Week 8
