CHARLOTTE — That was a good one for a lot of people.
It's also important to remember it was one.
And that's the trick about the balance of being a sports player or a sports fan. Each of these things is precious and meaningful to those who participate in whatever fashion. So attaching the appropriate amount of significance to each one of these events is important in how you react to them.
When the Panthers walked into Bank of America Stadium Sunday morning, they weren't doomed to a certain 0-17. When they walked out after shutting out the Falcons 30-0, they weren't guaranteed a trip to the Super Bowl. In many ways, they're the same team — a team that's improving and learning how to win and how to do it more often.
At the same time, it was one that a lot of people needed, and it's worth remembering that too. Sunday was a first for a lot of people. Nic Scourton's first start. Dalevon Campbell's first NFL game. Chau Smith-Wade's first touchdown. Dave Canales' first game in which his team allowed fewer than 17. Bryce Young's first win in September. Some fan's first game. A family's first chance to come to the Bank of America Stadium together. All those things are milestones, and should be celebrated.
And yet, it's one of 17 this year for the Panthers, so it's helpful to apply a little Kipling to the question, who advised his son to "meet with Triumph and Disaster, And treat those two imposters just the same."
For the Panthers, it was worth enjoying, but when Canales talked about that celebration on Monday, he looked at his watch, and knew it was almost over. So likewise, let's see what's next.
(Also, on the chance all the online Rapture chatter was real, I wish I had written a shorter Mailbag.)
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Darin, oh what a difference a week makes! And that applies to a beleaguered Panthers team as well as a sometimes grouchy old FOTM from Cabarrus County. Everything the Panthers failed to do well last week against the Cardinals, they did very well this week against the Falcons. The icing on top of the cake was throwing a shutout against their closest (distance-wise) division rival. Good for them, congrats, guys! This old grouch is never too proud to take a big bite of crow, er, Falcon when the team plays like they did Sunday! Of course, let's keep it real - this was the Atlanta Falcons, not the Bills, Colts, Eagles, or Chargers. Not exactly a league powerhouse. But hey, I'll take it! And I'll allow myself to feel tremendously better about our team. Let's go, guys, let's keep this one-game streak rolling and take out the Patriots next week. Seriously, Darin, I feel a lot more positive about our Cats than I did this time last week! #KeepPounding — Jeff, Concord, NC
See, Jeff, this is why you have to be the same person every day. That way, you don't end up consuming strange poultry. I've never eaten crow myself. Raccoon, sure. But never crow. Maybe it tastes like chicken, who knows?
The danger is trying to figure out what any particular opponent means in any particular week. Ask the Packers, who were talking about going undefeated, what they think about the Browns right now. And Jeff casually lumping the Colts in with the Eagles and Bills (legitimately good teams who have proven themselves over time) proves that point perfectly. I remember when Sam Darnold and the 2021 Panthers raced to a 3-0 start and he led the league in rushing touchdowns. Time wasn't as kind to that season.
We'll find out what it means over the weeks to come. But in the small time frame we have to judge this one, yes, it was pretty cool, in large part because so many people had a hand (and foot) in it.
And the fact that there were feathers on the ground when it was over didn't hurt.
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The Panthers just won the Super Bowl, right?! At least that's how yesterday's win felt, especially coming off the past two weeks. It was great to see the team playing well in all phases of the game, and it was fun seeing the team play with joy as well.
I'm not trying to nitpick a great day, but I am curious to hear your thoughts about what was going on with our offense during the last two-plus minutes of the first half. Specifically, there was a lot of time taken off the clock between the two-minute warning and the play that resulted in the holding call. Was the main priority to run the clock out, or were we just struggling with executing our two-minute drill? After the holding call and the punt, it ended up working in our favor that we had run the clock down, but I would have liked to have seen a bit more urgency to try to end the half with more points. In hindsight, that 10-0 lead was plenty, but as we showed last week against the Cardinals, scores can change quickly after a halftime reset. Looking forward to the rest of the season! — John, Charlotte
See, this feels like an appropriate level of response. Happy, while being able to wonder about particular parts of the game he didn't understand, without demanding someone be fired. I bow to your Buddha nature, John.
I think the fact that they were getting the ball to start the second half led to some of the conservative play-calling. But I'd also say that conservative isn't bad. "Absolutely if we can play normal football, and we can play complementary football, a punt's not the worst thing," Canales said.
The Panthers lost their first two games after turnovers led to early deficits. So being extra careful in the first half of the next game seems like a responsible reaction.
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What a game! It was fun watching the team dismantle Atlanta yesterday. The change in the defense has been amazing to watch the last two weeks. Teams not throwing Jaycee Horn's way is pretty evident, but having Mike Jackson on the other side playing so well is a huge luxury. His play against the pass and the run yesterday was impressive. I tried to keep an eye out for Scourton yesterday, and he was around the QB and the ball quite a bit. How has this defense turned around so quickly? Is it just the time they continue to be able to play together? Obviously, having a healthy Derrick Brown is a big part, but the assignments in the run game looked really good. It seemed like we had some different looks and formations yesterday as well. P.S. I also loved seeing that toss play to Chuba Hubbard on the outside yesterday in the first quarter. — Dustin, Albemarle, NC
Two things, really. One is all the new dudes. As we mentioned on Sunday morning, the defense that played against the Falcons in January is unrecognizable next to this one. Only seven of the 21 cats who played defense during the 2024 finale at Atlanta remain on the active roster, only four of the 13 in the defensive front four.
That was the emphasis this offseason, so it's no surprise it looks completely different.
But the other part is what Canales calls "time on task." They're settling in. A'Shawn Robinson has attained old-head status (and remains good at football), and he said it's a function of communication and trust.
"You get new guys on the team every year," he said with a nod. "I don't really worry about those things. I just worry about us just doing our job at a high level."
Now that the Panthers have acquired a sufficient amount of NFL-quality defensive players, they're having a chance to settle in together. And as they learn each other and their respective habits (such as what Derrick Brown does after he blows somebody up), that performance could improve.
Again, a lot of it is personnel. But they're also continuing to develop, and the more they learn, the more they'll be able to do.
And yes, Dustin, the same is true for rush attempts. The more of them you get, the more you're able to expand the inventory of options.
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Great game today against Atlanta. It brings joy to my heart to beat our I-85 brethren. Very similar teams today. Both teams are very young and wildly inconsistent week to week. Look at the Panthers, Week 1, Yuck! Week 2, played a good second half. Week 3, ... more of that please. Atlanta got down early and made mistakes, turning the ball over. Sounds very familiar to our first two weeks. That's what young teams do. Maybe they keep building and get more consistency this year. They look pretty competitive when they take care of the ball and stop the run. Here is to more of those games this year. Keep Pounding! — JP, Yadkinville, NC
Wait a minute, JP, are you telling me that these things can be different from week to week?
One of the more unfortunate parts of sports fandom, and life in a free society, really, is this tendency to turn every moment into a referendum on forever.
I guess if you make your living creating outrage in exchange for attention, that's a good thing. But I thank God every day I don't have to do that. (And she replied by saying, "You're welcome.")
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We are ecstatic with yesterday's victory. But as the old adage goes, never accept problems in a victory. Is the coaching staff concerned about the pass rush? No sacks, a few hurries, but the Falcons had many extended moments in the pocket. — Thomas, Charlotte
That's a reasonable concern, based on three games of evidence.
The Panthers are up to eighth in the league in scoring defense (a zero will do that for you), and 21st in yards allowed, which seems like an appropriate approximation of where they're at.
But that one Princely Umanmielen sack being the only one is not what they had in mind. They're getting more pressure than that, and D.J. Wonnum in particular has had several near-misses and statistical questions work against him (e.g., a stop behind the line of scrimmage being ruled a run stop rather than a sack).
But sure, they wish they had more than one. This is obviously an area they want to get better at, as they continue to grow. As we talked about back in the summer, I'm not sure there's a 10-sack guy on the roster at the moment, but there might be four guys who could get six or eight. And that's a start.
Umanmielen has the kind of natural twitchy speed that suggests he could become an effective rusher, and Scourton is the kind of tenacious defender who will end up with sacks through sheer force of effort. And Wonnum and Patrick Jones II have produced in the past, so there are a lot of guys with the potential.
Like most things defense, it'll take time for it to turn into a cohesive whole, but sure, they're definitely going to want more of that.
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Could there be some 2013 vibes building here? I mean, the starting QB in Year 3 is looking to build up momentum. The 0-2 start with plenty left to be desired, building into game three, which was a shutout both times, ...
Okay, seriously, my question really is, based on his performance after coming back to the team last year, what are the chances of Cade Mays solidifying himself as the potential long-term center for the team, given that, barring injury, he'll be starting for at least half the season? — Eric, Brick Township, NJ
Believe me when I tell you, in our Tuesday morning staff meeting, video wizard and ball-knower Connor Harrison, one of the great seers of the department, looks at me and says, "Has anybody written in asking if this is like 2013 yet?"
And once again, he was right.
That 2013 team was fairly different in construction (and I don't just mean the difference in stature between Cam Newton and Bryce Young).
That team was filled with hammers on defense, beginning with some guy named Luke Kuechly, who would win NFL defensive player of the year honors that season. And as we've learned, a little Luke Kuechly fixes most problems in life. But he was out there running around with cats like Thomas Davis and Charles Johnson and Star Lotulelei and Kawann Short (and many more).
Tell you what, if the Panthers lose this week to fall to 1-3 and then rip off eight in a row, write me back and we'll dig deeper into this.
As for Mays, he's got an opportunity, which is all anyone can ask. He was on the outside looking in last year at roster cuts, went away to the Giants' practice squad, and was only there long enough to move his stuff to New Jersey before he was summoned back. And he played good ball when he was in there. He got to play next to a Pro Bowler in Robert Hunt most of that time and that helps, but he still played well.
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Cade Mays looked good filling in for Corbett against the Falcons. With Austin Corbett's high snaps over the first two games, does Mays look like a better long-term option at centre? With Hunt effectively being ruled out for the year, could we see Corbett put back in at right guard when he's back off IR rather than centre? — Matt, Frome, Somerset, UK
Love it when we get questions from England, where they spell things differently sometimes. It's charming, and always brings a little colour and humour to this Mailbag, which I often leave in short supply.
If you're talking long-term, Mays probably does have a better chance simply because he's 26 and Corbett's 30, and coming off three straight years of horrible (unfourtunate?) luck which included time on IR. And Mays has taken his chance and run with it, playing well when he got an opportunity.
We don't know what Austin's future holds. He said last week he was waiting a few weeks to try to avoid surgery, but if he can come back in six to eight weeks, we'll see then. There are a lot of hypotheticals in that sentence, though.
Here's what I do know. Corbett is good at football, smart, and cares about it an awful lot. (As evidenced by his immediate reaction to the latest left knee injury. "Football sucks, but i love this game so much.") If there's anyone who can make it back from this situation and work his way back into a lineup somewhere, it's him.
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Bet they're wishing they had genuflected at the Peachoid and gone home after all. I'm glad they didn't, though, as it was nice to see US kneeling at the end to close out that absolute drumming.
Still, the national media pundits and comment-section goons are saying we suck and Atlanta is a vastly superior team that only beat themselves: I guess our defense didn't stifle the run and pass all game long. Bijan could've put up 200 yards on us if he felt like it, and Penix must be trying to perfect his bounce-pass. And our offense is atrocious too, because a team nursing a four-score lead should be airing the ball out deep into the fourth instead of running it down their opponent's throat like a bunch of cowards. If the Panthers were any good, they would have hung a hundred on the birds instead of the thirty that Atlanta GAVE them. Heck, we're so bad our kicker couldn't even get the ball into their returner's hands on kickoffs. It was bouncing all over the landing zone and messing up the game. That last part was the most embarrassing, especially against a team with such competency at the kicker position.
Never thought I'd be praising the Falcons, but here we are. I hope the rest of the league prepares for us as hard as they did. Keep Pounding! — Jake, Candler, NC
I see what you did there, Jake.
And speaking of kneeling, I congratulated Andy Dalton the other day on appearing in his 176th game in the NFL (he doesn't get credit for the ones when he doesn't take a snap).
Of course, that meant he went from 1,511 career rushing yards to 1,510.
"First thing my son says to me is, 'How many fantasy points is that?'" Dalton said with a laugh on Monday.
The answer is minus-0.1, which is somehow fewer than the Falcons scored Sunday.
Excellent use of the sarcasm font, Jake, so I will make you this week's Friend Of The Mailbag, and get the appropriate honorarium on the way soon. And to further reward your particular brand of genius, here's a picture of me in front of that holy shrine of which you speak.
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Wooooooooooooooo! That was quite the game for a weary fan base to embrace and feel the warmth of genuine hope in a victory. You can lay it on thick when your team won by 30 while scoring 30. Heck yeah. I was impressed with Ejiro Evero's performance. I thought they strangled that offense with smart play calling and a studly performance from the D-line and the defensive backfield. Ryan Fitzgerald looks like the real deal. Right? I mostly wanted to say a bunch of good things about the guys. They deserve it. Really.
This is Ask The Old Guy, so I'll do that. Is the O-line really better with Cade Mays? It darn sure seems like it. Can Dave Canales stick to the run like this? I appreciated the way they pounded the rock. They kept pounding all day. See what I did there? They did, though. They kept pounding. Yep. — Deric, Gastonia, NC
I don't know if they're better with Cade on the field, but they're definitely not worse. (It's unfair to Corbett to correlate last year's hot streak on offense to his absence, because a lot of other stuff went well.) But again, Cade has been really effective.
This short question contains multitudes, including a wild swing of fan opinion on Evero. He's always been good at his job, and it's funny how much smarter he gets when he has more good players.
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It's the ancient one again. I love what Dan Morgan has done with the roster through the draft and free agency. He's brought in very good players and a few who could develop into superstars. No one on the roster is a "me" guy; it seems everyone is definitely team-oriented and takes responsibility for their actions. The thing that I see missing is the two 'C's. Communication and Chemistry. The easiest way to fix this is by playing. Now for my question. I was a Washington fan in the Joe Gibbs era. There were four preseason games then. He would play the ones for at least a quarter and sometimes a half in the first three games, then sit them out for the fourth. Do you think it would benefit this team by playing them more than a series or two in the preseason? Enjoy reading the Mailbag — Marc, Indian Land, SC
Joe Gibbs also had the benefit of coaching before the start of free agency, which meant he coached effectively the same team for six or seven years at a time. Guessing that had more to do with it than snaps in August, which have become less and less meaningful over the years.
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DARIN, IT'S THE BEST DAY OF THE YEAR! HAPPY FAT BEAR WEEK KICKOFF DAY! Wait, wait, I'm also being told it's the first Victory Monday of the year, so that's doubly amazing! Factor in that I'm getting discharged from Atrium Main as we speak (forget Wu-Tang, kidney stones ain't nothing to eff with), and it's an absolutely perfect day in late September.
Now, to throw in a pinch of realism and rain on the parade, do you think this game was closer to our ceiling or Atlanta's floor? As good as we were, Bryce didn't light up the stat box, but at the same time, Chuba and Rico Dowdle were rolling, and the defense showed that "perhaps" some of the fan base was a bit overzealous in calling for heads to roll. I get it, that's the ugly side of fandom, but it's always a little disconcerting. Happy to be part of the Darin-Gers (my official submission for the FOTM clan) that will be wearing our Mailbag shirts every Sunday for luck, regardless of location! — Nate, Charlotte, NC
A lot happening here, so let's go from most important to least. First of all, glad you're feeling better, and that our friends at Atrium Health took good care of you.
Secondly, thanks for reminding me about Fat Bear Week (although my wife sets a calendar reminder 51 weeks in advance).
In case you didn't know, and if you didn't, what's wrong with you, Fat Bear Week is a celebration of the salmon-gorging abilities of the bears of Katmai National Park in Alaska, including a bracket and fan voting. It's one of the things on the internet I'll miss the most if the Rapture is indeed today, because there ain't going to be no internet in Heaven.
Also, I have a new favorite bear this year, Number 602. His bio should hang in The Louvre.
"With his large size and high level of dominance, 602 was able to fish at his leisure. He sometimes napped in the river rather than retreating to the seclusion of the forest. He also seemed to enjoy being surrounded by fish. On warm days, his resting phases were punctuated by lounging behaviors that inspired people to call him a "floatato" and reminded others of Homer Simpson relaxing in a pool. Embracing change offered 602 the chance to find greater opportunity, which he carries in body fat. This is his first Fat Bear Week appearance."
Bear 602 is obviously a role model, and I aspire to be described as a "floatato" someday. Seriously, that's the best nickname this side of The Big Dumper.
Vote all week. Bears are good. Especially the "fat in Alaska" kind.
Oh yeah, the game. I'm not worried about Bryce's stats at all. You give him a chance to sign for 121 yards in a shutout win all season, and he'd take that. He seems all tore up about it, based on the pictures.
Obviously, there are games when he'll need to participate more fully, but that time is not this week. As with all things, the truth is likely somewhere in the middle. As the noted Eastern philosopher John Fox liked to say, "you're never as good as you look when you win, or as bad as you look when you lose."
The legion of Friends Of The Mailbag who wore the T-shirts and found them to be lucky this weekend stands alone. They need no more identification than the style and confidence with which they walk the earth. Although, Gantt-ineers does have a certain ring to it. Also, always respect Wu-Tang.
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Hey Darin, Dan from England again. Just want to provide feedback on the fact that my 'FOTM' tee has now arrived. I wanted to thank you for all your efforts in ensuring that it got to me. It may have taken the best part of a year after the first one, from the US, which must have got lost in the post. You even went to the lengths of sending from Amsterdam whilst vacationing in Europe, very grateful for that and your continued brilliant coverage of the team we all love so much. When I'm fortunate enough to return to Charlotte, I shall certainly be rocking the beauty everywhere I go. I'm honestly proud as punch.
Football-wise (sending this prior to week 3 commencing), obviously not the start we'd all hoped for. That being said, the team could have so easily chucked the towel in last week as the deficit appeared insurmountable. I can't ignore the bright spots, a sack for Princely, the pick for Wonnum, and last but certainly not least, the response from Bryce after such adversity. His reaction to the early setbacks was commendable, and I really hope he can build on this as the season progresses. I know the injuries at OL are terrible timing-wise, but I have full faith in Chandler and Cade, who are waiting in the wings and have proven previously how capable they are at their respective positions.
At the end of the day, come the end of the season, if we're sitting here looking at an improved record, at least we know we're headed in the right direction. Talk of playoffs prior to the season may have been overly optimistic, and perhaps expectations should be tempered; ultimately, progress is progress. The only thing I can be sure of is win, lose, or tie, I'm Panthers 'til I die. Keep Pounding! — Dan, Salisbury, England,
See, once Dan got his FOTM shirt (thanks to my agent in The Netherlands for arranging quick passage), he started seeing the future. Sorry it took so long. (Someone else in England is likely wearing your original shirt and experiencing the good fortune attached.)
Three easy steps: Participate in the Mailbag, earn shirt, profit.
I do it for the people.
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Wow! What a win! The special teams unit was stellar! They even made two Falcons players run into each other in the fourth quarter! The defense, too! And they didn't even record a sack! What a difference a great kicker and defense make!
The offense played with patience and control, too. They did not let down the defense and kept the mood high. We won the mental game. I did that this weekend in my cross-country race. While I did not break the world record, I did run a season-best 24:20-something.
When it comes to helping players mentally during a game, who does that for the Panthers? The coaches? The fans? Is there a team therapist on the sideline to help calm emotions? A therapy dog named Prostaglandin? Also, Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo! — Zach, Charlotte
See, another FOTM, out here prospering in the world. Join the movement.
Coaches are there to do the mental resets during games and keep guys focused, but I can tell you that a bunch of players talked about the atmosphere at Bank of America Stadium, which was excellent. Bryce even used the word "electric," which few might have anticipated after 0-2.
But fans generally want to see their team of preference do well. On the internet, people are mean and nasty. In person, it's possible to find community. (But in this corner of the online world, we're working to cultivate civility, so we're all proud of you.)
And after reading your grammatically correct tribute to the American bison (though we get plenty of Buffalo in Charlotte, and more every day), all I really have to say is, GET BACK TO CLASS, ZACH.
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And on that note, let's go lightning round, brought to you by the patron saint of the lightning round Jeff from Fuquay-Varina, to close it out this week.
Good afternoon, Darin. Who is going to be added to the active roster for the offensive line? Do you think one of them might be Jarrett Kingston? My niece went to high school with him and wanted to know if he would be one of the OL that gets an active roster spot, since he can play center as well. Your thoughts? — Jeff, Riverton, WY
It was Brandon Walton this week, but Kingston's ability to play center is valuable. Walton's got more experience with this coaching staff (they had him in Tampa), but Kingston is someone they want to continue to develop.
What are panthers, like I know they're a football team but what are panthers. I think they were meant to be the meer cats but they made a typo. Am I right? (I usually am). — Johnton, Charlotte
We found the Falcons social department's burner, gang.
So many questions to ask, why we never resign number one draft picks that actually hit, why our players never have the strong physical physique as every other major team has, why we're still letting Dan Morgan draft for us, and I'll stop there. But my main question is, and you like this- why is the Carolina press and media so dang gentle and soft on a team that deserves deep criticism and maybe a glimpse of hope? Been that way since the franchise began, and I've lived and died with them every year since. That being said, the media surrounding them is the most boring garbage of serene politeness with a masters in burying the lead. — Wen, South Boston, VA
It's lede. And master's. And after diagramming that sentence, I could use an over-the-counter pain reliever. Any suggestions?
Boy, my wife's first regular-season NFL game did not disappoint. I've been trying to temper her expectations for the season. We've got 14 games left, and we won't win all of them, and we won't lose all of them either, but the hope is for improvement and growth. But after almost choking on her stadium pretzel during Chau Smith-Wade's pick-six and getting to meet Ikem Ekwonu at dinner, she is fully on board and already talking playoffs. (One game at a time, babe.)
Any idea how Bill Voth is doing/what he's been up to? Used to always enjoy his articles/mailbags and was sad to hear he was leaving a couple of years ago. Been really enjoying the content you and Kassidy have been putting out, though. — Zac, Kernersville, NC
Bill Voth? Never heard of him.
But Zac and his wife had a great day. That's one they'll remember for a long time.
