PODCAST: All Panthers, Raider Maven Predict Week One

Henderson, Nev. -- This week, football is back, and the Las Vegas Raiders invade the Carolina Panthers' lair.

Sports Illustrated's Raider Maven recorded this podcast with Sports Illustrated's All Panthers publisher Schuyler Callihan. We also asked him the following questions so the Silver and Black fans can know this week's enemy.

Raider Maven: What is your biggest question with the new coaching staff?

All Panthers: I think the most significant question mark surrounding the coaching staff is going to be how they handle in-game adjustments. With much of the staff not having worked together before, it will be interesting to see what they do when things don't go as planned. As the offensive coordinator, with the young Joe Brady, does he start pressing if the Panthers get down early and go away from his game plan?

RM: What is your assessment of the new Panther offense?

AP: The Panthers' offense has, for the most part, been stuck in neutral over the last couple of seasons despite having arguably the best running back in the NFL with Christian McCaffrey. Poor offensive line play and not having a healthy quarterback have plagued this team since they appeared in Super Bowl 50. For the first time in nearly a decade, the Panthers will have an offense that does not feature Cam Newton and Greg Olsen as centerpieces. Instead, Teddy Bridgewater takes over the reins of the offense and is ready to prove himself. Bridgewater has been a winner everywhere he goes, so I don't expect that to change in the long-term during his time here in Carolina. Right out of the gate, you're going to see some inconsistencies with this offense. You'll see some big plays from Robby Anderson, DJ Moore, and Curtis Samuel in the passing game, and McCaffrey in the running game. Still, you'll also see many mental mistakes and probably some timing issues on passes due to not having played much football together. As the season moves on, I think you'll see Carolina have one of the more efficient offenses, but it may not happen until the latter part of the season.

RM: What is your assessment of the new Panther defense?

AP: Carolina is exceptionally young and thin on the defensive side of the ball. They lost eight starters off last year's defense, many of which were past their prime and not worth extending. In turn, the Panthers elected to make NFL Draft history by selecting all defensive players this past spring. The starting front seven should be the team's strength. Veteran Kawann Short and first-rounder Derrick Brown will be a formidable duo to handle on the line's interior, and youngsters Brian Burns and Yetur Gross-Matos have bright futures as pass rushers. With Luke Kuechly now retired and in a scouting role with the Panthers, this becomes Shaq Thompson's defense. He finished 30th in the league in tackles in 2019, and that was playing alongside Kuechly, a tackling machine. Former Raider Tahir Whitehead was brought in to give the Panthers some more experience in a pretty thin linebacking unit. Finally, the secondary. It's a mess. Donte Jackson is the only proven corner on the team, as Eli Apple was placed on the IR Monday (hamstring/foot). Rookie Troy Pride Jr. will slide into the starting role opposite of Jackson and will be backed up by Corn Elder and Stanley Thomas-Oliver III (7th round pick). Rasul Douglas was claimed off waivers from the Eagles on Sunday, so although he's a guy with experience, he may need some time to catch up with the playbook. The Panthers should be above average at safety with Tre Boston and Jeremy Chinn, but the group is by no means where they want it to be. Stopping the run will be critical for Carolina in 2020 because of how young that secondary is. If they can't slow down the rushing attack, the Panthers could get scorched every week.

RM: Please analyze for us the Panther special teams.

AP: Special teams is an area Matt Rhule has put a lot of emphasis on this offseason. The team went out and signed former Pro Bowl returner Pharoh Cooper to help give the offense a good starting field position and toyed with the idea of putting Christian McCaffrey back there. In the kicking department, Carolina opted to release veteran kicker Graham Gano and keep the much younger Joey Slye, who filled in for Gano in 2019 as he was out with an injury. Slye has a strong leg, but if there's one area he needs to improve, it's on PATs (88 percent). The punting situation has been uneasy this summer, starting with Michael Palardy being lost for the season with an ACL injury. The team signed UDFA Joseph Charlton out of South Carolina, and he has had some excellent days; he struggled for the most part during training camp. The staff feels confident in him, but I wouldn't be surprised that at some point in the season, K/P Kaare Vedvik is activated from the practice squad.

RM: What is the biggest wild card in this game from a Carolina Panther perspective for you.

AP: Honestly, I would have to say it goes to watching the injury of starting left guard Dennis Daley. If he is unable to go, it's a massive blow to an already average offensive line. Coach Rhule said he is dealing with a sprained ankle and unsure how long he will be out. "It could be day-to-day, it could be even longer." If Daley is ruled out for this Sunday's season opener, I think you see the Panthers struggle to run between the tackles.

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