3 Storylines I'm Watching Most in Panthers' Week 2 Matchup Against Falcons

The Carolina Panthers are facing the Atlanta Falcons this week. There will be plenty of things to watch out for, but what stands out?

How Does Carolina's Defense Respond?

Truthfully, I’m not expecting Carolina to come out Sunday and look like one of the best defenses in the NFL. I want to see how they respond after getting embarrassed by Chicago. Defenses can have bad days or maybe even bad game plans, but now the question is whether it was the coaching, the players, or a combination of both.

In last weekend’s loss to Chicago, the Panthers gave up 59 points and 552 yards of total offense while also allowing 291 yards on the ground. I do not foresee another game like this because, really, how much worse could it get? I would like to think that game was rock bottom for Carolina, and it is only up from here.

Week 2 will give us a better look at who this Panthers defense truly is. They have heard everyone talking about how bad they were, and there is really no way to escape it. The question now is whether that takes a mental toll on them or if they can put it behind them and put together a much better showing.

Cooper Rush will get the start at quarterback for Atlanta, but Carolina can't get too comfortable because the Falcons have one of the best running backs in the league in Bijan Robinson. After watching D'Andre Swift and the Bears have their way with this defense last week, you can guarantee Robinson will be a major part of Atlanta's game plan.

Carolina doesn't have to completely shut Atlanta down for me to feel better about this defense. I just need to see improvement. If the Panthers come out and struggle with the same things again, then the questions surrounding this defense are going to get even louder.

Can Bryce Young Build Off His Week 1 Performance?

Once again, I do not foresee Young being someone who throws for another 361 yards every week. However, the question is whether he can continue to be efficient and stay away from costly turnovers. Can he come close to replicating what we saw from him in Week 1?

This is the perfect time to silence some of the doubters. I know there are still plenty of people who are not sold on Young, and his overall career numbers give them reason to pause. However, if he can put together back-to-back strong performances, then maybe we are starting to see him become the quarterback the Panthers traded up to get with the first pick in the draft.

If he doesn't throw for 350 yards or four touchdowns this week, that should not be looked at as a setback. What I want to see is his confidence. Does he have the confidence in himself and the weapons around him to push the ball downfield?

I also want to see if Dave Canales and playcaller Brad Idzik show that same confidence in their young quarterback. Are they willing to continue putting the ball in his hands and basically telling him, “It's your team”? Those are the things I will be watching as Carolina looks to bounce back from its Week 1 loss.

Was Jalen Coker's Breakout Just the Beginning?

We all went into this season knowing that Jalen Coker is very talented. Nobody saw last week's eight-catch, 138-yard, two-touchdown performance coming. Now Atlanta has film on Coker, and the question becomes what they are going to do with it.

I want to see if Coker is able to have the same type of impact when he is no longer an afterthought. If Atlanta makes an effort to take him away, can Coker still find a way to play a major role in the offense? That may tell us more about him than simply looking at how many yards he finishes with Sunday.

I don't expect another 138 yards and two touchdowns because that would be an unrealistic expectation every week. However, if he is still getting plenty of targets and a healthy number of catches, then maybe last weekend wasn't just a one-off game. It could be the start of something from a player many of us already believed could be special.

Another thing I'll be watching is how Bryce Young looks for him if Atlanta does try to take Coker away. Nine targets in Week 1 showed there is already plenty of trust between the two. If those opportunities continue, Coker could be turning himself into a much bigger part of this Panthers offense.

It is still way too early in the season to make any big conclusions about this Panthers team. One week can make a team look a lot better or a lot worse than they actually are, and Carolina experienced a little bit of both against Chicago.

Sunday should give us a few more answers. How the defense responds, what Bryce Young does after his big Week 1 performance, and whether Jalen Coker can do it again are three things I'll be watching closely. If Carolina can get positive answers in those areas, they should have a much better chance of leaving Atlanta with their first win of the season.

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