Carolina Panthers Head Coach Addresses Offensive Struggles in Preseason Loss

Carolina Panthers' starters struggle For the first time all preseason, the Carolina Panthers' first-team offense hit the field and took live game reps. But it wasn't much at all and left many questions after the team's 29-14 loss in Buffalo. Led by Bryce Young, the Panthers' first team was out there for just nine plays as they had 12 yards and zero first downs in the game. It was a disappointing showing for the starters, especially considering the reports out of training camp that the offense was hitting its stride.  Instead of the stride, they hit a brick wall that was the Buffalo Bills' defense.  Young and the Panthers were stonewalled by the Bills defense as they controlled the line of scrimmage. It left a sour taste for Dave Canales and the coaching staff and following the game, the head coach addressed the struggles they had.  "My hope was 20-ish plays, but I also had a three-series cap in my mind. We didn't earn those extra reps," Canales stated. "The first quarter was over, and we had three series—we went three and out three times. We gotta do better, we gotta move the chains. We gotta make sure we have more opportunities for those guys. "But the intent of it was—get your mind ready, we're going to play football, we had three series, we didn't come out with much." This is a bit of a road block for the starters, including Young who finished the game 3-of-5 passing for 18 yards. He never looked comfortable out there and the game looked like it was speeding up for him. That's the opposite of what we have heard in training camp thus far, making it even more disappointing to see. For the Panthers, they now shift their focus to another game week as they travel to take on the Jacksonville Jaguars on Friday. Canales hasn't said just how much the starters will play in that game but seeing that they need more reps before Week 1 against Chicago, it might be wise to let them play a little more extended time in this next game.