Panthers Mailbag: Ejiro Evero's Important Task, Weapons Galore & More

We are only two games into the season, and I already have no idea what to expect from the Carolina Panthers from one week to the next.

They gave up 59 points against Chicago and then turned around and beat Atlanta 34-3. Bryce Young is playing some of the best football we've seen from him, and suddenly Carolina has more guys to throw the ball to than we've been used to seeing around here. That's not a bad problem to have.

There are still plenty of questions, though, especially with Carolina heading back on the road this week to face Cleveland. So let's get into this week's Panthers mailbag.

Is Evero's Defense Closer to What We Saw Against Atlanta or Chicago?

I wish I knew. Seriously, how are we supposed to know after what we've watched the first two weeks?

Carolina gave up 59 points and 552 yards against Chicago. A week later, that same defense went into Atlanta, came away with five turnovers, and gave up three points. I don't think anybody saw that coming after Week 1. I know I sure didn't.

Now it's on Ejiro Evero to figure out how to get something close to that Atlanta performance every week. I'm not saying the Panthers need to come away with five turnovers every Sunday because we all know that's not going to happen. I'm also not expecting them to hold everybody to three points.

I just want to see some consistency.

If they give up 20 points one week and 17 the next, I'm perfectly fine with that. What you can't have is a defense that looks completely lost one Sunday and then looks like a totally different group the next. Somewhere along the way, you have to figure out what kind of defense you're going to be.

Right now, I still don't know exactly what this Panthers defense is. Two games just aren't enough for me to say they've figured everything out after what happened in Week 1. But I do know which version I'd rather see again in Cleveland.

Does Bryce Young Finally Have Enough Weapons Around Him?

I think he does. How many times over the last few years have we talked about the Panthers needing to get Bryce Young some help? Well, I think we can finally stop having that conversation.

Jalen Coker has 16 catches for 204 yards and two touchdowns through two games. Tetairoa McMillan has 176 yards, Xavier Legette showed against Atlanta that he can make a big play, and Darren Waller caught two touchdowns in the win. Then you still have Chuba Hubbard and Jonathon Brooks coming out of the backfield.

That's a lot of guys who can make something happen with the football.

What I really like is that Young doesn't seem locked in on one guy. If Coker isn't open, he can go to McMillan. If a defense starts paying more attention to those two, somebody else is going to have a chance to make a play. For once, it feels like the Panthers have options.

Now, I'm not ready to sit here after two games and say Carolina suddenly has one of the best groups of weapons in the NFL. That's getting a little carried away. But does Bryce finally have enough around him to be successful? Yeah, I think he does.

Why Isn't Chuba Hubbard Getting the Ball More?

This is probably the one I understand the least. Hubbard has 22 carries through the first two games and has rushed for 102 yards. That's 4.6 yards per carry, so it's not like he's getting the football and not doing anything with it.

I understand the passing game is working. Bryce is playing great football, and Carolina has all these receivers we just talked about. I'm definitely not saying they should suddenly take the ball out of his hands and run it 35 times a game, but can we get Chuba a few more carries?

I'd like to see him somewhere closer to 15 to 20 carries, especially if he's running the ball well. Make the other team respect the run a little bit, and maybe that opens up even more for Bryce and all of those weapons in the passing game.

The good thing is Carolina doesn't need Hubbard to carry the entire offense anymore. There are plenty of other guys who can make plays now, and that's something Panthers fans have been waiting a while to see. I just don't want them to get so caught up in everything that's working in the passing game that they forget about a pretty good running back standing right there.

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