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Carolina Panthers fans knew that there was going to be an abundance of hard times this season. In addition to the natural growing pains that accompany every rookie quarterback, the team must carry through an unsuccessful 1-6 season knowing their fortuitous draft pick (currently No. 1 overall) is going straight to the Chicago Bears.
That blockbuster trade will all be worth it if Bryce Young develops into an unquestioned franchise QB, but that long-term optimism is still not going to make the Panthers a more enjoyable team to watch in the present. A fortuitous schedule might, though.
After swooping in late to win its first game of the season versus the Houston Texans, Carolina continues a favorable stretch of matchups. Could the next W be coming this Sunday against the scuffling Indianapolis Colts?
We will provide our answer to that question and more, as we make our bold predictions for the Panthers' Week 9 home meeting with the Colts (3-5). Or as many call it, the Frank Reich revenge game.
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Panthers RB Miles Sanders will make a clear impact
Carolina general manager Scott Fitterer made a decent effort in the offseason to provide Young with a couple of safety nets for his first NFL season. Those moves have produced wildly mixed results, however.
Veteran wide receiver Adam Thielen, who has somehow been a fantasy football goldmine thus far, has eclipsed 100 receiving yards in a game three times already this season. The transition to Charlotte has not been nearly as smooth for Miles Sanders. Actually, the running back's first season with the Panthers has been utterly dreadful.
After signing a four-year contract for $25.4 million in free agency, the 2022 Pro Bowler is averaging just 3.0 yards per carry through six games. He has been hampered with a shoulder injury of late, but the struggles started almost instantly. Sanders' 11 touchdowns with the Philadelphia Eagles last year feel like an alternative universe ago, as he is expected to once again work behind Chuba Hubbard in the backfield this Sunday.
And yet, he has the perfect opportunity to reemerge against the Colts. Indy is the only team that has allowed more rushing touchdowns than Carolina in 2023, which is a consequence of its leaky secondary. Sanders will still have to work hard to gain considerable yardage, but I see him having his best Panthers game to date.
Although that is a low bar to clear, the 26-year-old should be able to leave his imprint on this matchup. Sanders knows this an ideal spot to get right and should be moving with urgency.
Colts will be held to 25 points or less in Week 9
The Panthers are giving up the third-most points per game in the NFL, while the Colts are scoring the sixth-most under first-year head coach Shane Steichen. That sounds like a potential nightmare scenario for the defense, but Carolina is capable of exploiting a flawed opponent, as is evident from last week.
And Indianapolis is definitely flawed. While quarterback Gardner Minshew has done an admirable job of filling in for the injured Anthony Richardson, he is making plenty of mistakes. The mustached native of Mississippi has thrown five interceptions in his last three games. A passing defense that sneakily ranks in the top five in football should only augment Minshew's deficiencies.
Based on the information I have provided above, you already know the Panthers are terrible at stopping the run. Jonathan Taylor and Zack Moss will do some damage on the ground, but even a banged-up linebacker group (no Justin Houston) will do enough to prevent a free-for-all. Brian Burns can wreak havoc on the edge, as this defense bends but doesn't break in Week 9 versus the Colts.
Panthers defeat the Colts for second win in a row
We have examined the Colts' many faults during this breakdown, but actually defeating them is not going to be an easy task for what many fans and the standings say is the worst team in the NFL. Injuries and inexperience will rear their ugly head in Bank of America Stadium once more. Though, an ugly win is still a win.
While it is largely and understandably going unnoticed, Carolina has been starting to figure things out over the last month. Aside from their field-goal victory versus the Texans, the Panthers built an early lead against the Miami Dolphins and held a second-half advantage over the Vikings before imploding. Last Sunday, might have been a breakthrough.
Bryce Young posted the best outing of his nascent career, completing 22-of-31 passes for 235 yards and a touchdown. He displayed great composure while leading the game-winning drive. Even getting sacked six times was not enough to derail the former Heisman Trophy winner. Withstanding such adversity and surviving bodes well for his future.
He and the rest of the Panthers will also have a little extra incentive to pound on the Colts. Frank Reich was dismissed from the organization more than midway through last season. He will not say anything publicly, of course, but the head coach would surely relish a chance at vengeance.
I think he gets it. Opening kick-off is set for 4:05 p.m. ET.
