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The Frank Reich Era has gotten off to a rocky start. The Carolina Panthers sport a 0-2 record heading into their Week 3 matchup against the Seattle Seahawks, and must play in one of the NFL's most hostile environments. To boot, they will be without their starting QB, as rookie No. 1 pick Bryce Young is not expected to play, owing to an ankle injury.
In place of Young, veteran Andy Dalton is expected to start under center for Carolina. Perhaps this is a positive development in the short term? Young has (understandably) looked shaky in his first two NFL games. The raucous crowd in Seattle would do little to help settle Young into the game. But the vet Dalton has seen it all, and it's not crazy to think he gives them the best chance to win in Week 3.
After laying a stinker at home in Week 1 against the Los Angeles Rams, the Seahawks come back to the Pacific Northwest with a 1-1 record. It took them overtime to do so, but Seattle knocked off the Detroit Lions for their first win of 2023. But this is a team battling multiple injuries on defense and along the offensive line. Pete Carroll's team should win, but…well, you know what they say.
Let's dive into this NFC matchup with some bold Panthers Week 3 predictions, just to keep things interesting.
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3. Zero turnovers from Andy Dalton
Giving the ball away has been a problem for Carolina so far this season. Bryce Young had two interceptions in his pro debut, and while he avoided throwing any in Week 2 vs. the Saints, he did lose a fumble. Enter Andy Dalton. Although he has had issues with turnovers himself, it's likely that coach Frank Reich will keep things simple on Sunday. After all, it's a road game with a backup quarterback making the start. Expect the Panthers to run the ball a lot and not ask Dalton to do too much.
The other wrinkle here is the state of the Seahawks' defense. Pro Bowl cornerback Riq Wollen is expected to sit out this game with a chest injury. Seattle also is likely to remain without safety Jamal Adams. The former Jet is on the active roster but has yet to appear in a game after missing all but a quarter and change of the 2022 season.
If nothing else, the Red Rifle should be limited in his opportunities to turn the ball over. Pair that with a compromised secondary, and Dalton should be able to protect the football adequately.
2. Panthers D keeps Geno Smith under 250 passing yards
Seattle QB Geno Smith threw for 250+ yards eight times in 2022, and he's already done it once this season. But it won't happen on Sunday. Mainly because he won't have the time to do so. To start, left tackle Charles Cross' playing status is murky, due to a toe injury. On the other side of the line, right tackle Abraham Lucas recently underwent a procedure on his knee and was placed on IR. Jake Curhan started in Lucas' place, and the team did sign veteran Jason Peters this week, although Carroll wasn't sure Peters would be ready to suit up on such short notice.
Also, the Panthers' pass defense has been pretty good through two weeks. Granted, it helps when playing the ground-and-pound Atlanta Falcons to open the season. But only three teams have allowed fewer yards through the air than Carolina through two games. Throw in some pressures from defensive end Brian Burns (assuming his ankle injury doesn't limit him too much) and Smith might struggle more than expected.
1. Chuba Hubbard's yards > Miles Sanders' yards
Miles Sanders signed with the Panthers on a deal worth $25.4 million this offseason. With that contract came the expectation he'd be the team's #1 running back. And so far, that's held true — Sanders has 32 carries to Chuba Hubbard's 11. But Hubbard is still commanding a significant workload. Even in the Week 2 loss to the Saints, while Hubbard only got two carries, he caught five passes out of the backfield. Throw in the fact that Sanders was limited at Thursday's practice because of a pectoral injury, and you have a golden opportunity for Hubbard to earn more touches with his play on Sunday.
