Despite piecing together about as brutal of an 0-2 start as possible, the Carolina Panthers step into Week 3 with a little renewed hope—as a switch under center could result in a switch in fortunes.
But before we hit kickoff on Sunday, here are four things to know about this week’s matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders:
First-year matchup
Both Dave Canales and Antonio Pierce have entered 2024 as first-time full-time head coaches. And Week 3 will be the first time that either face a fellow first-year head coach.
Canales comes into the match looking for his first career win, whereas Pierce can snag his second this season and his seventh overall—with five coming in his interim role in 2023. Both are also looking to establish their cultures amidst a pair of shaky quarterback situations.
The Red Rifle
Speaking of shaky quarterback situations, the Panthers have decided to bench the struggling Bryce Young after just 18 career starts. They’ll now look to 14th-year veteran Andy Dalton for some form of offensive success.
Dalton made one start for Carolina in 2023, passing for 361 yards and two touchdowns in a 37-27 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. So that success brings a bit of hope that the 36-year-old could unlock some functionality that we have yet to see from this offense in 2024.
Gladiator match
The major strengths for both teams reside in the trenches.
For Las Vegas, it’s on defense—where stars Maxx Crosby and Christian Wilkins reside. For Carolina, it’s actually been on offense—where this offseason’s investments into guards Damien Lewis and Robert Hunt have already begun to pay off.
Whoever can control the line of scrimmage, particularly in this battle, should have the advantage.
Tight history
Panthers-Raiders matchups are pretty rare, as the two teams have met just seven times. Las Vegas has the slight edge, carrying a 4-3 mark against Carolina heading into the weekend.
The Panthers can even up the all-time series by notching their first (and much-needed) win of the 2024 campaign.
