It took until Week 8, but Frank Reich has officially earned his first win as head coach of the Carolina Panthers. Reich was elated to pick up the victory but cautioned that the Panthers still have plenty of work to do before they're a finished product.

Carolina edged out a 15-13 victory over the Houston Texans. Reich admitted there'd be plenty of celebrating after the win. But he also noted that their victory over the Texans was just the start for the Panthers and not just a culmination of their hard work up to to Week 8, via David Newton of ESPN.

“We have a long way to go. We'll certainly enjoy this and celebrate it. But this is just the beginning, Reich said. “We try to set very high standards for ourselves for how we prepare. I think we've been learning how to do that as the year has progressed.”

“There's no turning back. We know every week in this league it's a battle,” Reich continued. “But all we have to do is prove we're the best team on the field that particular day. You reduce it down, you shrink the problem to that one-on-one matchup and you go play your game.”

Frank Reich came over the Panthers after serving as the Indianapolis Colts head coach from 2018-2022. His final season in Indy was cut short after he was fired with the Colts having a 3-5-1 record. Between the end of his time with the Colts and his 0-6 start with the Panthers, skepticism towards Carolina was warranted.

While it's just one game against the Texans, Reich sparked a bit more confidence from the Panthers and their fanbase. As the coach mentioned, Carolina has a lot of work to do if they want to capitalize on this success. Reich is confident that this team is capable of reaching new heights. Their Week 8 win against the Texans was only a glimpse of what's to come.