The Panthers Are Facing a Classic Trap Game, and There's Good Reason to Be Concerned

It almost feels like we're supposed to feel good about the Panthers again.

They just went into Atlanta and won 34-3. Bryce Young is playing some of the best football we've seen from him, the defense looked completely different, and suddenly Carolina has a chance to leave Cleveland with a winning record.

So why does this game make me nervous?

Maybe it's because everything seems to be lining up a little too nicely after what we watched last Sunday.

Carolina is going back on the road for Cleveland's home opener, and the Panthers aren't exactly going there healthy. Devin Lloyd is out, Jalen Coker and Xavier Legette are both questionable, and some of the guys Carolina has depended on through the first two weeks are either unavailable or banged up.

Then there's the biggest thing for me. We still don't really know what this Panthers team is yet.

Was the team that gave up 59 points to Chicago the real Carolina? Was it the one that turned around and beat Atlanta by 31? Or is the answer somewhere in the middle?

That's why Sunday worries me.

This is exactly the kind of game Carolina has to learn how to win if we're going to start looking at this team differently.

Carolina Isn't Exactly Going Into This One Healthy

After an impressive win over Atlanta, you would think we should be more confident going into this game. Then you look at the injury report.

Two of Bryce Young's biggest weapons in Coker and Legette are questionable. Devin Lloyd, who has been a big part of this defense, is out.

After the defense had its best showing of the season, losing Lloyd is a big blow. Carolina is trying to prove what we saw against Atlanta wasn't a fluke, and now they'll have to do it without one of the guys they've depended on.

Somebody is going to have to step up in his place.

The receiver situation isn't much better. Young has shown a lot of trust in this group through the first two games, and it's easy to see why. Coker has 16 catches for 204 yards and two touchdowns, while Legette showed against Atlanta that he's capable of making a big play with his 55-yard reception.

If Coker and Legette do go and they're limited, Carolina is going to need more from John Metchie III and Tetairoa McMillan. McMillan has already shown he can handle a big role, but I'd rather not find out how much more he can handle because everybody else is banged up.

I'm not using injuries as an excuse before the game even starts. Carolina can still beat Cleveland.

I just liked their chances a lot more before looking at the injury report.

We Still Don't Know Which Panthers Team Is Going to Show Up

While last week was impressive, I think we have to keep ourselves from getting too carried away.

I'm still not sure which Carolina team is going to show up Sunday. If the same team that played Atlanta shows up, I like their chances. But I'm also not forgetting what happened against Chicago.

You don't give up 59 points one week and then make everybody forget about it because you gave up three the next week. The Atlanta game was great, but now do it again.

That's really where I'm at with this team.

After Chicago, we wanted to see how Carolina would respond. Well, they went to Atlanta and showed us.

Now I want to see what happens when people are actually starting to feel good about them.

That's what makes this feel like a trap game to me. Carolina can't go into Cleveland thinking it suddenly has everything figured out because of one great Sunday. Cleveland is 1-1 too, and the Browns aren't just going to hand them the game.

If the Panthers start believing some of the hype and don't show up ready to play, this could be one they let get away.

I'm still not ready to say Carolina has everything figured out. We're two games into the season. How could anybody know yet?

But go into Cleveland banged up, find a way to win and come home 2-1?

Yeah, I'll feel pretty good about that.

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