Panthers Early Season Slate Could Get the Cats Off to a Fast Start

Ron Rivera and the Panthers know that in 2019 the team needs to get off to a quick start in order to be able to make a serious run at the division, as well as for the team to make the 2019 postseason.

Last season the team got off to a solid 3-1 start, and even sat at 6-2 before the wheels came off. If you were to check the Sugarhouse App you’d see that the team is expected again to win 7-9 games in 2019, but that will not be enough to play with the likes of the New Orleans Saints or last year’s NFC Champions the Los Angeles Rams.

The Panthers oddly enough have a shot to make a statement in week one, as they will play host to the NFC Champs the Rams at home, a game that they really need to win to get off to a fast start.

Los Angeles boasts a very good offense with Jared Goff as well as running back Todd Gurley, who is looking to comeback off an awful NFC Title game and Super Bowl.

The following week the team will play a Thursday night game at home against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a game that will come just four days after the season opener.

The Bucs are a team with a new look and new coach in Bruce Arians, and much like Carolina they will be looking to make an early statement on national TV with a week two win.

Some may call it a ‘trap game,’ but for the Panthers, they know the Bucs all too well, and they can’t afford to look past their divisional foes in this week two showdown.

Week three will see the Cats head to Arizona, where again they will see a new head coach (Kliff Kingsbury) and the Cardinals.

The Cardinals are very much a work in progress, and there’s still a chance the team might deal last year’s starting quarterback, Josh Rosen.

With the first pick in the April draft, things can change a lot for the Cardinals if they go with Kyler Murray to take over the QB spot.

Finally in week four it’s another road game, this time against DeShaun Watson and the Houston Texans. The Texans are a team that got into the playoffs a year ago as divisional champs of the AFC South, only to lose in the Wild Card game to the Indianapolis Colts.

The slate is laid out for the Panthers, two home games, two away, but again this team needs to put 2018 away and get off to a good start in 2019.

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