CHARLOTTE — The Panthers know if they are going to get where they want to go this season and beyond, it's going to require winning on the road. Carolina is sitting at 3-3 currently, but all three wins have come at home. This week, it's about tackling that next challenge; or to borrow Derrick Brown's words on the subject, "we got to be able to go and fight our own demon as well."

They'll get another shot this weekend, traveling to the greater Manhattan area (or at least across the river from the greater Manhattan area) to take on the New York Jets (0-6).

"Guys are excited about the opportunity to go on the road together, play good four quarters of football, put that together," said coach Dave Canales this week. "That's a piece of what we're trying to build here. We have to be able to go on the road, and function the way we've been at home, playing together, playing clean football, and finding a way to finish."

As the Panthers get ready to head up the East Coast, prepare for the matchup with these five things to watch.

The offensive ascension

As the run game has progressed in recent weeks, so too has the passing game. Bryce Young might not be at the top of most major quarterback categories, but he's worked his way up to the low 20s in most columns, settling into a rhythm with young receivers and absolutely dominating the fourth quarter. During that all-important quarter, Young has gone 41-69 for 370 yards and five touchdowns to one interception.

Part of Young's ascension in the offense, in addition to the run game, is the progression of young receivers like Tetairoa McMillan (who hauled in his first two touchdowns in the Week 6 win against the Cowboys) and Jimmy Horn Jr. Xavier Legette's bounce back, and Hunter Renfrow's steadiness.

Now, Young might get back one of his favorite targets. Jalen Coker has been practicing all week and is set to make his season debut against the Jets after spending the first six weeks on Injured Reserve with a quad injury. Canales said Friday that Coker would be activated for this game.

His presence back on the field, along with the rest of this group, is an exciting possibility for Young.

"It causes a lot of problems (for defenses)," Young said. "It certainly makes my job easier, just with the stuff that Jalen brings. All of our guys do a great job with that, too, all the people, our entire group. It's different stuff; you're able to have different things, you're able to present different stuff to the defense to account for."

Regardless of who's on the field Sunday, they'll likely have to deal with Sauce Gardner. The All-Pro, Pro Bowler, and former defensive rookie of the year has a reputation that precedes him. And he's maintaining it so far this season. He has five passes defended and has forced the most tight-window throws (60 percent of the time) than anyone in the league.

"You've got to be able to catch contested, contested passes, and he's going to be there," previewed Canales. "He's sticky. He's sticky in man coverage; when he's in zone, he's playing off the quarterback's drop. He's a fantastic player, and you have to come off the rock with speed. You've got to be able to use your hands.

"He's not afraid of a penalty here and there, you know, he's a really confident guy, and that's exactly the type of opportunities and challenge that brings out the best in our guys, and so we got to meet the challenge. You're going to have to catch the ball when he's near you."

Something working in Young and the Panthers' favor, though, is Gardner's tendency to play man coverage. 34.4 percent of the time. According to Next Gen Stats, Young has completed 28 of his 50 passes for 291 yards, a league-high eight touchdowns, and zero interceptions against man coverage. Young has thrown 20 of his 50 attempts (38.5 percent) in man coverage to McMillan, who has hauled in 11 of those targets for 167 yards (second-most) and one touchdown. The Jets defense has played man coverage on 35.8% of opponent dropbacks (seventh-highest) and has allowed 7.4 yards per pass play in man coverage (seventh-most).

If all of those things together mean McMillan is facing a stingy Gardner all game, well, the rookie is looking forward to the matchup.

"There's a reason why he's one of the top corners in the league," pointed out McMillan. "So, you know, I just have to expect a fight out there."

Can Rico go over 200 yards for a third straight game?

Running back Rico Dowdle has been on a tear in recent weeks. While replacing starter Chuba Hubbard, Dowdle has put together back-to-back performances of 200-plus yards from scrimmage: 234 yards versus the Dolphins, and 239 yards versus the Cowboys.

Dowdle has helped spark this offensive attack over the last two weeks, to the point that the offense has shifted to feature the back. The Panthers lead the NFL with 5.7 yards per carry on designed runs from under center, according to Next Gen Stats, with a 60.4 percent success rate on such carries (third-highest in the league).

Sunday, the question becomes, how does this rushing attack get split with the return of the incumbent starter, Hubbard? For now, Canales is remaining mum.

"I think (Rico's) earned everything that he's done in the last two weeks," said Canales. "He's earned the right to help this team, and he will, and we'll find a way to do that. How we do that specifically, I don't wanna really share those details of it."

Both Hubbard and Dowdle have been a part of two-back offenses before: Hubbard with D'Onta Foreman in 2022, and Dowdle with Ezekiel Elliot last year in Dallas.

"Me and (D'Onta) kind of had a little back and forth there," Hubbard recalled, "and obviously that worked out well."

Added Dowdle, of the benefit of having a two-back system, "The way I think we'll do it, I don't think it'll be hard to get into a rhythm at all, especially the way those guys are blocking up front.

"I think it's going to allow for us both to be fresh throughout the whole game."

The Jets' defense is currently in the bottom third of the league in rushing defense, allowing an average of 130 yards per game on the ground. It is a unit, though, that can lock down the middle rushing lanes, centered around defensive tackle Quinnen Williams. The DT has 23 total tackles this year—which is tied for fourth amongst tackles—with six for loss and one sack.

"Obviously, the Jets' defense is great, especially the D line and the secondary, linebackers from top down. It's a fast group. They fly around," said Hubbard. "I think the biggest thing that we've done every single week, especially the last two weeks, is just attack; attack, attack, attack, and do what we know we're good at."

A third straight top rusher to stop

Defense travels, and the Panthers' rush defense is planning on that being the case this weekend; as they're ninth in the league, allowing 94.5 rushing yards per game. It's an impressive enough stat in its own right, but even more so when considering the defense has held teams at that number despite facing three of the top six rushers in the league through the first six weeks: Bijan Robinson, Javonte Williams, and Travis Etienne Jr. For that matter, they've faced four of the Top 12 rushers, if you add in De'Von Achane, who is currently 12th.

And still, the rush defense unit has set itself up to be one of the best in the league. In the last two weeks alone, they've given up a total of 50 yards.

"Our guys are really bought into, you know how (defensive line coach Todd) Wash and (outside linebackers coach AC) Carter are teaching the upfront mechanics and they're doing a hell of a job of executing it," defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero said this week.

But the challenge won't get any easier this week with Breece Hall, who is currently 11th in the NFL with 410 yards, averaging 68.3 yards per game on the ground. It also won't get easier next week, either, when the second-leading rusher, James Cook III, comes to town, but we're getting ahead of ourselves, back to Hall.

He is the Jets' workhorse, picking up 24 first downs himself. Hall also has 14 explosive runs already this season (runs of 10-plus yards), which is second most, trailing only Jonathan Taylor, who has 15 explosives.

"Everybody knows Breece is a really good back," said Derrick Brown. "Not only are we going to go into this week with the rushing attack from the running back, I mean, he's a patient running back that sits there and lets his blocks set up, and he gets downhill quick when he needs to."

While the Panthers have allowed an explosive play on 9.4 percent of rushes, they have shut down runs overall, allowing a mere 30.9 percent success rate on all rushes, which is second best in the NFL currently.

Slowing down Jets stable of returners

Another week, another top returner for the Panthers' special teams to slow down. The unit already faced Antonio Gibson (Patriots) and Malik Washington (Dolphins) this season, two guys near the top as returners in the league. And while KaVontae Turpin (Cowboys) missed this past week's game, the challenge swiftly returns this week with the Jets' stable of returners.

Whether due to injury, availability, or cuts, the Jets have cycled through returners on kickoff and punt this year. It gives Panthers' special teams coordinator Tracy Smith a lot to study.

"I try to peek through the whole catalog before you pick out your Christmas present," Smith joked this week of the Jets playing them all and the process to study the tape of each possible returner.

There have been tendencies that have made themselves apparent with each guy, though, and that is where a lot of the Panthers' focus goes this week.

"The Jets have had a ton of returners this year. They had success with each one of them," Smith said. "So they've had eight or nine kickoff returners that have all had success, and had four punt returners.

"They haven't declared necessarily who's up to this game in particular, so we kind of have to coach off of the blocking schemes so far and learn the different attributes of the different possible returners as we get there so that when we get to the game and figure out who it's actually gonna be, we're ready for that particular person."

Of the possibilities, there is Isaiah Davis, who has returned 11 kickoffs for 323 yards, averaging 29.4 yards per return (seventh overall). Avery Williams has returned five kickoffs for 26.6 yards per return, as well as four punts for 41 yards.

Then there's Kene Nwangwu, who has only returned four kickoffs this year after missing Weeks 2-5 with a hamstring injury. But he's made the most of those four. He leads all returners in the NFL with an average of 36.5 yards per return (146 yards total). And in his first game back last Sunday against the Broncos, Nwangwu exploded for a 72-yard return.

"They're an excellent blocking team for sure," Smith previewed. "That guy is a really, Kene's a good returner. He bounced off the tackle, and he ran, you know, that would be—how they count it now, like 45 yards after contact in one of these stats kind of things.

"So, broken tackles are a big part of almost all these new kickoff returns that go for distance, and that's what he's been good at, and outstanding speed and strength, determination. So it takes more than one guy to tackle this person, so we have to keep working as a group to all get there at the same time if we can."

I spy Justin Fields

Justin Fields may have often changed teams, offensive systems, and teammates in recent years, but one thing that hasn't changed is his ability to dominate a defense with his legs.

"Got Justin in the backfield running the read option and he's just as fast as I remember," joked Brown, who grew up watching Fields come up through Georgia high school football.

In five games (Fields missed Week 3 due to injury), the Jets QB has thrown for 799 yards, averaging 159.8 yards per game, with a 65 completion percentage. He's only thrown four touchdowns but has also protected the ball, with no interceptions. Defenses have been able to get after Fields—he's been sacked 19 times—perhaps giving the Panthers, who are last in the league with five sacks, a chance to pick up more.

What makes Fields such an interesting challenge, though, is that while he makes himself susceptible to some sacks by escaping the pocket, he can also make a lot of magic out there. He is second on the Jets in total rushing, with 235 yards, which is also second amongst all QBs in the league, trailing only Josh Allen, with three touchdowns. Fields is picking up 6.2 yards per pop on his 38 carries, with 10.7 percent of those coming on scrambles, the rest designed runs.

When facing a threat such as Fields, there is a question that arises: Do you spy him?

"I don't believe there's any cons," admitted nickel Chau Smith-Wade. "I think that putting a spy on him just, you know, it disables his legs. We know what he can do with his legs, so we think that there's more pros than cons."

A "spy" indicates one defender whose entire assignment for the game is to keep an eye on and track the quarterback. If Fields drops back in the pocket, they can attempt a sack or track in case he scrambles. If he carries on a designed run, they should be the first there. As Smith-Wade indicated, there are a lot of positives.

The risk is then taking a defender away from the rest of the play. So, as the Panthers prepare for the Jets, how they decide to defend Fields could be an interesting layer to watch.

"It's certainly going to be a priority this week to keep him in a pocket in those pass situations, get back on track, third down, and we know that, obviously, his ability to extend plays with his legs and make things happen with his legs is a big part of his game," said Evero.

"So, we got to do a great job, whether we're rushing four or five, spying, whatever we do, we got to do a great job of just having great awareness of the quarterback, rush lane integrity, eyes and vision on the quarterback, and those are going to be the biggest part of this game plan."

All of this does become more interesting, and perhaps more difficult, given the loss of Patrick Jones II. The pass-rusher will have season-ending back surgery, Canales revealed this week. In his place, rookies Nic Scourton (who has started already this season) and Princely Umanmielen will see their snaps increase.

For Scourton, having those two starts under his belt makes all the difference heading into this week.

"It's like a full 180," he said of his comfort level. "Like I feel so much better, just getting those reps in the game. I think I'm just more in control and have a better understanding of the game and the flow of the game."