Eric Washington had a strong debut performance against the Cowboys. In his first game as defensive coordinator, he saw his defense stifle the Dallas offense, allowing only 232 yards and a single late touchdown. While Dallas will likely struggle offensively a lot this year, that doesn’t take away from the fact that only two teams gave up fewer yards and fewer points than the Panthers, and one of them was playing the Bills, so they don’t really count.
This weekend’s test will be much tougher. The Panthers will hit the road for the first time this season to take on a Falcons offense that has all the pieces to be a dominant group.