It doesn't take long for bubbles to burst around the NFL when the regular season begins. That bears more significance for teams like the Carolina Panthers, who have long been thought of as basement-dwelling afterthoughts rather than legitimate playoff challengers.
Dave Canales was confident the tide would turn this time. The head coach was extremely bullish about his team's chances, stating that nobody would look forward to playing the Panthers after a strong end to 2024 and some aggressive moves over the offseason.
That might still come to fruition. However, Carolina's disastrous Week 1 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars proved just how much hard work is ahead.