Cause for concern

Preseason Game at Houston.

If you’re a Panthers fan and not concerned, it’s time to wake up. NFL teams can’t just flip a switch when the season starts. The coaching staff pulled the plug too early. Head Coach Dave Canales should have kept the starters on the field until they proved they were ready to open the season without stumbling out of the gate. The risk of injury doesn’t outweigh the danger of a rusty start that a team may never recover from. After the game, Canales confirmed that starters will not play in the final preseason matchup.

The offense clearly needed more snaps to find rhythm, but the defensive scheme may be the bigger problem. Scheme is one thing, but the inability to put the right personnel in the right spots is another. Why on earth is Tershawn “Turk” Wharton lining up at nose tackle in a 3–4? That misalignment is asking for trouble, and it highlights deeper concerns about this staff’s decision-making heading into Week 1.