The Carolina Panthers are reeling of late, as they have lost five consecutive games after winning their first game with Andy Dalton as the starting quarterback. To make matters worse, the Panthers haven't even been very competitive in most of their losses, including a 28-14 blowout against the Denver Broncos on Sunday where they trailed by multiple scores all afternoon.
This weekend, they get an easier matchup on paper in an NFC South rivalry game against the New Orleans Saints. The Panthers will also be looking for a little bit of revenge after the Saints blew them out 47-10 in the season opener.
The Panthers will have a tough time on Sunday due to a long list of injuries that they are currently dealing with, especially on the offensive side of the ball. One of the biggest names on the list is promising rookie wide receiver Xavier Legette, who is currently listed as questionable due to a toe injury, according to Mike Kaye of The Charlotte Observer.
Wide receiver Adam Thielen is doubtful with a hamstring injury and the Panthers just traded Diontae Johnson to the Baltimore Ravens, so Bryce Young won't have much to work with on the outside of Legette is unable to go. Young is set to make his second straight start while Andy Dalton recovers from a thumb injury.
Starting tackle Ikem Ekwonu is going to miss Sunday's game with an ankle injury, so the Panthers are missing pieces at every level of the offense.
Bryce Young working with makeshift supporting cast on Sunday
The Panthers made headlines earlier in the season when Dave Canales made the stunning decision to bench Bryce Young in favor of Andy Dalton. The move worked out for one week, as the Panthers picked up their first win of the season against the Las Vegas Raiders and Dalton looked like his old self.
That success was short-lived, as the Panthers have lost five games in a row since that victory and are now 1-7. Young was thrust back into the lineup on Sunday against the Broncos due to an injury to Dalton, and he looked better than he did in his first few starts of the season.
While the opponent gets much easier for Young this week against the Saints, his job may be even harder without some of his supporting cast. Adam Thielen has been out since Week 3, but it doesn't look like he is going to make it back on Sunday. Starting tackle Ikem Ekwonu is set to miss a game for the first time in his young career due to an ankle injury, and now Xavier Legette's status is up in the air as well.
Losing Legette would be a major blow, as the rookie has shown a lot of promise this season and caught his third touchdown of the season last week. Regardless, Young is under a lot of pressure to build off of a workable performance when the Panthers take on a very bad Saints defense on Sunday.
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