The Carolina Panthers had a truly horrible 2023 season, finishing with the worst record in the NFL. There was hope they would improve in 2024 with Bryce Young entering his second season and the franchise bringing in Dave Canales as its new head coach. How could it be worse?
That is a question Panthers fans already wish wouldn't be asked because it can always get worse. The Panthers traveled to New Orleans to play the Saints in their 2024 season debut and immediately got pummeled by the home side. Carolina fell behind 30-0 at one point in the first half, and only a late field goal as time expired in the second quarter saved the Panthers from a first-half shutout.
It was a disaster from every angle. Young completed 50 percent of his passes and threw a pick on his first drive of the year. The defense let Saints quarterback Derek Carr throw three touchdowns. All in all New Orleans outgained the Panthers by more than 150 yards in the first two quarters.
Neither side of the ball for Carolina put up much resistance in any regard, and NFL fans were quick to dump on the downtrodden franchise.
Im sorry Panthers, I might have still been wrong pic.twitter.com/unH7bR67z9
— Dave Rappoccio (@DrawPlayDave) September 8, 2024
“let’s check in on how the panthers are doing so far” pic.twitter.com/JMwysKItRT
— Annie Agar (@AnnieAgar) September 8, 2024
Panthers fans woke up today with so much hope. Now look at them.
— Zito (@_Zeets) September 8, 2024
Panthers pic.twitter.com/xofxA41icm
— Danny Heifetz (@Danny_Heifetz) September 8, 2024
I am simply asking the Panthers to not be unbelievably embarrassing this year.
— Walker Mehl (@WalkerMehl) September 8, 2024
The Panthers are gonna be *the* case study in how to absolutely blow a top pick and QB decision that sets your franchise back a decade. It's gonna be the cautionary tale that gives cover to all other bad team decisions of this era.
— Kevin Van Valkenburg (@KVanValkenburg) September 8, 2024
Most NFL fans on twitter portray things as much more dire than they are, where a 7 or 10 point deficit is discussed like a blowout.
— Ryan Nanni (@celebrityhottub) September 8, 2024
Panthers fans are somehow underselling it.
Knowing what we know now, Matt Rhule going 11-27 with the David Tepper-owned Panthers is one of the great coaching achievements in the history of sport.
— Paul Hembekides (Hembo) (@PaulHembo) September 8, 2024
People really be rooting for the Panthers dawg. Like, in public.
— Muhammad Alinked-in (@PBSImpulse9) September 8, 2024
The Carolina Panthers might be the first NFL team to get relegated.
— . (@tsnmknd) September 8, 2024
Holy shit… I just seent it
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) September 8, 2024
The Panthers are down 30-0 at halftime to the Saints??
Wowwwwwwwww
Wowwwwwwww
It's a tough way to start the year, to say the least.
Expectations were low for the Panthers given it takes time for a first-time head coach like Canales to find his footing and the overall talent level on the roster isn't much improved from 2023. But ineptitude of this degree, in the very first week of the year, will disturb even the most optimistic of Panthers fans. The fact that it's coming against a divisional rival is merely salt in the wound.
A bad way to kick off 2024.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Panthers Clowned by NFL World After Getting Blown Out by Saints in First Half .
