Fans can take heart from the fact that the Carolina Panthers fought right until the end in Week 2. But all the history books will reveal is another defeat.
Moral victories are no longer accepted. Fans want more from the Panthers, especially after the encouraging strides made over the second half of 2024. That looks like an anomaly rather than the start of brighter fortunes right now, but it's still relatively early in the process.
There are 15 games left to turn the tide. Whether they can or not is debatable, and one analyst turned the screw with a damning assessment of how things are unfolding in Carolina right now.