NFL analyst claims Panthers 'deserve some slack' after blowout loss to Bills

The Carolina Panthers were riding relatively high heading into Sunday. They were 4-3, on a three-game winning streak, and back at home where they'd not yet lost a game. Despite the absence of QB Bryce Young, there was some hope that a Buffalo Bills team that has struggled of late would struggle against the Panthers a bit.

That didn't remotely happen. The Bills treated the Panthers like a college team, and the offense looked like a high school unit. It was ugly, and that word probably doesn't even quite describe it. Still, one insider believes the Panthers deserve some grace after Week 8. He said the Panthers "deserve some slack."

Panthers deserve grace after crushing defeat, according to one insider

Oct 26, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard (30) runs during the second half against the Buffalo Bills at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

The Carolina Panthers played the ugliest game of the week on Sunday. It was one of the worst performances any team has had all year long. Nevertheless, NFL analyst Jeffri Chadiha believes the Panthers belong in the "teams deserving some grace" tier for now.

"It was a long day for the Panthers on Sunday. They took a 40-9 loss to Buffalo, and it didn’t even feel like the game was that close. In years past, this would’ve been the kind of outcome that started the discussion about how long the current head coach would keep his job," Chadiha admitted.

However, the shock and disappointment in the outing suggests that the feeling in Carolina has changed. Previously, losses like this were somewhat common. Now, they're appalling. "The Panthers came into Sunday with a 4-3 record and a lot of hope that head coach Dave Canales was leading this team in the right direction. The defense has gone from being the worst in the league last season to being one of the most improved. A dangerous tandem has emerged at running back with Rico Dowdle and Chuba Hubbard. Quarterback Bryce Young has played better. All that stuff still matters, even with a humiliating loss to Buffalo," Chadiha said.

What Buffalo did on Sunday speaks more to their talent level than the Panthers, Chadiha argued. With Bryce Young out and Andy Dalton looking like he'd never thrown a football before, things just got out of hand.

Chadiha said the Bills probably would've beaten Young anyway, but he also thinks the game would've been so much more competitive. "Give the Panthers some time. If you can run the ball and play defense, you can be a viable threat in this league," he concluded.

Until Sunday, the Panthers had been able to mostly do that over the last three weeks.

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