The Panthers are on a three-game winning streak and over .500 for the first time since October 2021. But they might have just lost their starting QB Bryce Young for a brief time.
So, naturally fans are curious about the future of their favorite football franchise. That’s why The Observer has brought back the Panthers mailbag to answer pressing questions from the Carolina faithful.
Here are some standout questions from social media:
Bryce Young’s timeline checkup
Titus on X (formerly known as Twitter) asks: Do you think the team will consider the quality of the next two opponents when they consider how quickly to bring Bryce back?
The Panthers will host the Buffalo Bills (4-2) on Sunday before facing off against the Packers (4-1-1) in Green Bay in Week 9. While both teams present notable challenges for the Panthers, the read here is that this injury situation will be more about what Young can do individually rather than who is on the opposite side of the ball.
The team has taken its time with injured players under this new strength and performance team this year. Wide receiver Jalen Coker, for instance, was given an extra week of practice before being activated from injured reserve last week. Running back Chuba Hubbard also got two weeks to recover from a calf injury after he made the ailment worse by pushing through it in Week 4 against the New England Patriots. The Panthers didn’t rush Xavier Legette (hamstring) or Turk Wharton (toe), either.
Quarterback is obviously the most important position on the team, if not in sports. And the team has a capable veteran backup, Andy Dalton, to fill in for Young, who is at his best when he can use his legs and improvise on the run. So, with an ankle injury — which coach Dave Canales refused to diagnose, though other media outlets have reported it to be a high ankle sprain — it stands to reason that the team will take its time with Young regardless of the opponent.
Young can’t just be a pocket passer against either defense, and taking away his mobility reduces his prowess as a creator.
Frankly, all things being equal, these two games are the ones that the team should really want to see Young play. Buffalo is a middle-of-the-pack defense (16th overall) that gives up a ton of rushing yards (156.3 per game). The Packers are a middle-of-the-pack passing defense (15th), but their run defense is elite (1st in the NFL), and the Panthers are going to need to throw the ball effectively on the road.
These opponents are big challenges, but when it comes to evaluating a third-year QB, you want to see him perform so you can assess his viability as a long-term answer. These are winnable games if everyone executes on the Carolina side, but Young being questionable for both (potentially) makes the outlook kind of up in the air.
The guess here is that if Young can operate with most of his mobility intact, he will get the opportunity to play. If he can’t run or use his right foot to plant and throw the ball effectively, he won’t play. It doesn’t matter if the opponent is the Bills, the Packers or the Tune Squad.
RB rotation rumblings
Tyler on X asks: I still love Chuba (Hubbard) … but if you have a guy making history 2 weeks in a row (Rico Dowdle) … why take snaps away?
The running back rotation was admittedly awkward to watch in the first half of the 13-6 win over the Jets.
Hubbard didn’t look like himself, as he methodically tried to force his way through holes on the opening drive. Dowdle, though, during his time, flashed occasional glimpses of his brilliance from the previous two weeks. Neither player looked particularly effective being rotational pieces, especially to begin the game.
But there are a few things to consider here.
Hubbard has a track record of moving the chains effectively, which was necessary in a game that was going to be mostly a defensive battle. He was the main running back on the offense’s first two scoring drive, which led to 10 points in a 13-point afternoon for Canales and company.
Dowdle, though, was inarguably more successful individually on Sunday. He bobbed and weaved through defenders and was able to make positive gains outside the tackle box. He looked comfortable as a downfield receiver as well.
I think it’s going to be hard for Canales to favor the rotation long term if these are the continued results. But, in fairness to him and Hubbard, this was the running back’s first game back from a calf injury. He looked sluggish and somewhat uncomfortable early on before finding a bit of a rhythm in the second half. The Panthers were also playing with their sixth offensive line combination in seven games. There were a lot of variables there.
Canales said Monday that he’d stick with the rotation. Perhaps, a date with another lousy run defense — the Bills rank second-worst in the league in that phase — could bring out the best in both backs. Canales clearly wants to give Hubbard — a locker room leader and a fan of the franchise — every opportunity to get back to where he was in 2024 when he was punishing front-seven defenders on a weekly basis.
This rotation, as with anything in play-calling, is an experiment in execution and effectiveness. If Canales finds that the run game mojo from the previous home stand is leaking, he will likely reconsider how he uses the group.
Dowdle is clearly on a heater, but I also think it’s worth pointing out the volatility of running backs. There are also injury concerns to manage with both players. Both have only been full-starting running backs for one whole season a piece. So, safeguarding both by splitting up carries isn’t the worst idea, especially with Hubbard dealing with a calf injury and Dowdle battling cramps in his two big games.
Again, it’s a one-week sample size against a two-week sample size. Perhaps another game is worth monitoring before determining the highly paid, homegrown playmaker gets benched for the flashy new addition on a 1-year contract.
A Dalton dilemma?
Adam on Bluesky asks: I’m concerned that Canales seemed to be shoehorning Dalton into concepts that really don’t suit him, particularly certain play-action concepts. Yes, hard to do mid-game. However, do you have confidence that they will tailor the plan to Dalton?
I don’t expect the offense to change much. Like with any quarterback, I expect Canales and offensive coordinator Brad Idzik to go over the play call sheet with Dalton and figure out what he likes and is comfortable with before putting together a game plan for him to potentially start.
Dalton has played for several different coordinators in his career, and he’s been in this offense for two years. The veteran QB had a fantastic game against the Las Vegas Raiders last year, and it’s likely that the staff will try to harken back to that success.
For what it’s worth, I thought the play-calling for Dalton against the Jets, and against the Patriots earlier this year, was fine. It’s obviously tough to come off the bench when you haven’t worked with the line or most of the receivers in practice during the week.
One way or another, the expectation should be that the Panthers will lean heavily on their rushing attack against the Bills in Week 8. It’s the clear advantage they have, regardless of who is at quarterback.
Dalton, though, could get more looks under center if he gets the call.
Jalen Coker’s playing time
C Strug on X asks: Jalen Coker usage? Easing him in, or will we continue to see more Jimmy Horn and Brycen Tremayne?
Coker played 24 offensive snaps on Sunday. Despite the optics, Coker played eight more snaps than Tremayne and nine more snaps than Horn.
Coker is the one of the team’s three top receivers, while Tremayne and Horn are package players. It’s clear that Canales appreciates Tremayne’s blocking ability in the run offense, and the staff has been open about the impact of Horn’s gadget ability over the past couple of weeks.
Coker isn’t really a motion option, and trusting him to block on a full workload after missing two months with a quad injury isn’t really ideal.
Remember, the Panthers ran a lot of multiple tight end sets, which took a receiver (or two) off the field on plays. With the way the Panthers have leaned on the run in October, it made sense that they clung heavily to Tommy Tremble (47 snaps), Mitchell Evans (31 snaps) and Ja’Tavion Sanders (26 snaps) against New York.
With Coker getting his legs back under him, the read here is that he will see more time on the field. And even if the Panthers continue to cling toward multiple tight end packages over the next few weeks, I’d expect Coker’s target load to increase mightily, no matter who is at quarterback. He was targeted just twice against the Jets.