Opening weekend has historically not been kind to the Carolina Panthers

Both the Carolina Panthers and Jacksonville Jaguars are getting ready to embark on their 31st NFL season. The expansion franchises both took the field for the first time in 1995. The clubs are actually meeting for the second time in three years, the Jaguars claiming a 26-0 home victory in 2023. All told, these clubs have split their previous eight regular-season encounters.

This isn’t exactly a battle of powerhouses, but it does feature a meeting between first overall picks in quarterbacks in Carolina’s Bryce Young (2023) and Jacksonville’s Trevor Lawrence (2021). However, Dave Canales’s squad at least brings a little momentum into the contest.

The Panthers won four of their final nine games after a miserable 1-7 start this past season, which began with an ugly 47-10 loss to the Saints at the Superdome in Week 1. Meanwhile, the Jaguars—under new head coach Liam Coen—won a total of four games in ’24.

Dave Canales at Saints — Sep 8, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales talks to quarterback Bryce Young (9) and quarterback Andy Dalton (14) on a time out against the New Orleans Saints during the first half at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Then again, this is the first game of the season, which has been an issue for the Panthers. Numbers are what they are, but it’s worth noting that the team owns a disappointing 11-19 win-loss record on opening weekend. That adds up to a .367 winning percentage—which happens to be the worst-such figure amongst the league’s 32 clubs.

Carolina Panthers have struggled in season openers

All told, Carolina has currently dropped three games in a row in Week 1. Their last opening weekend victory came in 2021, a 19-14 triumph over the New York Jets at Charlotte. The team’s head coach was Matt Rhule and the club’s starting quarterback was former Jets’ first-round pick Sam Darnold.

Of course, a 1-0 start doesn’t guarantee much of anything. Flashback to 2001, when head coach George Seifert led his Panthers to a 24-13 victory at Minnesota. Carolina would drop its final 15 contests that year, and Seifert was out of a job after the season.

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