4 Panthers Already on Thin Ice After Inexcusable Week 1 Blowout

3. The Entire Defense

The Saints are a strong offense, ranking in the top 10 in points per game in 2023 (23.6). Even still, Derek Carr is an aging quarterback with questionable supporting talent and just dropped 47 on a "revamped" Panthers defense.

It's hard to pick just one player to assign blame, so it's worth noting that every single Carolina defender should be embarrassed. New Orleans had 30 by halftime and tacked on 17 more while just icing the game away late, and there's no Brian Burns coming back to change the Panthers' fortunes.

The secondary was overmatched, the linebackers slow, and the defensive line overwhelmed. Every member of the defense needs to take a tough look in the mirror, and it's hard to envision this team being competitive soon.

Significant improvements must be made or we could be looking at another first-overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. That might be a blessing to critics of Young, but it's a disaster for the Panthers as a whole.

On the bright side, things can't get much worse. On the less-bright side, it's difficult to imagine how things get much better either. This team did not look like it belonged in the NFL, but now must quickly turn around and find a way to stop Jim Harbaugh and the Los Angeles Chargers' physical attack.