Three weeks into the 2021 season saw the Carolina Panthers making aggressive trades to shore up an injured secondary and a national media conversation that was legitimately entertaining playoff conversations. The loss of Christian McCaffrey, among others, for an extended period due to a hamstring injury is not the sole reason for the ensuing four-game losing streak that the Carolina Panthers are currently keeping active. Their early winning streak was built upon a world-beating defense, a consistent—if unspectacular—quarterback, and a running back whose talent forgave a struggling offensive line.
Now, all of that has largely been turned on its head.