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The Carolina Panthers won just two games last season, and to make matters worse, they gave away what would end up being the first overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft when they traded up to acquire Bryce Young in 2023.
After missing out on both CJ Stroud and Caleb Williams, the pressure is on Bryce Young to step up in his second year as a pro. Carolina is widely expected to be one of the worst teams in football again this year, but they’ll be looking to surprise the rest of the league with an upset victory on the road against the New Orleans Saints when their season gets underway at 1 pm on Sunday, September 8.
If the Panthers pull off the upset, they’ll need a big day from two key players. Keep reading for some bold predictions for the Carolina Panthers in Week 1.
Diontae Johnson has 2+ touchdowns and 100+ receiving yards in his first Panther game
The Pittsburgh Steelers traded Diontae Johnson to Carolina this off-season, and the veteran receiver brings both pros and cons to his new team. To start with, he’s one of the best route-runners in all of football, and his specialty is creating separation from any type of coverage. Johnson has consistently ranked among the top two or three most open receivers in football every year, and he’s often in contention for the number one spot if he doesn’t claim it outright.
Johnson is a bit undersized, but he plays physically and aggressively in a manner that offsets his size and makes it less of a concern. If you didn’t know how tall he was or what he weighed, his nose for the football and willingness to mix it up with defenders would have you think he was a bigger, more physical receiver in the mold of the former San Francisco 49ers star, Michael Crabtree.
There’s reason to believe that Johnson will thrive in his new environment. A fresh start and a new change of scenery could be just what the doctor ordered for the WR while playing in Carolina could also improve his focus and help reduce the number of easy catches that he drops. It was never going to be easy for Johnson to have to fill Antonio Brown’s shoes in the Steel City, and he was under immense pressure to be a superstar immediately.
He’s a talented pass catcher and an elite route runner who has a chance to thrive with his new team. There wouldn't be a better way for the former Steeler to announce his arrival in Carolina and a resurgence in his NFL career than by crossing the century mark for receiving yards and finding the endzone multiple times.
Bryce Young throws 3+ touchdowns with no interceptions
Bryce Young had incredible hype coming into the league after being selected with the first overall pick ahead of former Ohio State Buckeyes superstar CJ Stroud. Early returns show that the Texans got the better of the Panthers in the 2023 NFL Draft, though, and Stroud quickly looked the part of a superstar.
Meanwhile, Young struggled heavily in his first taste of NFL action.
The Panthers will need Young to be better going into year two, and I expect him to respond. With the addition of Johnson to the team’s receiving core this off-season, Young has an elite playmaker to throw to. Johnson has WR1 upside, despite his recent struggles in Pittsburgh.
Having a bonafide playmaker on the outside should do wonders for the young quarterback’s confidence and production. Young is a bit undersized for the position in the modern NFL, But that shouldn’t be a major cause for concern. We’ve seen small quarterbacks succeed in recent years, and Young has plenty of positive traits to offset his size.
He’s an instinctive player who does a good job of reading the field when he has a clean pocket to operate out of. He is extremely athletic and he has the creativity to adapt and make something happen on his own. When the play breaks down, that’s when Young is at his best. He can move around in the pocket or outside the pocket, manipulate the defense, get them off balance, find their weak point, and exploit it.
Young has a decent arm, although he might not have a cannon like Pat Mahomes or Josh Allen. He makes up for that with elite accuracy, though, and this fits perfectly with Johnson’s style of play at the receiver position. The former Steelers playmaker is at his best catching the ball in space and making magic happen after the catch. Young‘s accuracy will help set Johnson up with opportunities to create after the catch. Panthers fans should be excited to watch this duo and should expect big things from both of them.
The Panthers upset the Saints and win by two or more touchdowns
The Panthers are expected to be one of the worst teams in football this year, but the Saints aren’t exactly elite themselves. To be clear, it’s unlikely that Carolina will win this game, but if things break in their favor, they could upset the Saints and shock the NFL world.
Not only could the Panthers win this game, but this is an opportunity for them to make a statement by running it up against the Saints. If the connection between Young and Johnson its reaches its full potential, this offense could flip from one of the worst in football to one of the best in the sport. The Panthers could catch the Saints by surprise, jump out to a quick lead and maintain it.
The Panthers need to make a statement and set the tone for the rest of the season. That starts in Week 1, and they have an opportunity to announce their arrival to the rest of the league.
