CHARLOTTE — If you feel that difference in the air, that excitement on the wind, it's because it's finally game week. After a long, exciting, and at times surprising offseason, the Panthers have made it to Week 1. Dave Canales and crew will head to Jacksonville this week to face the Jaguars in the season opener.

The series is tied between the two mid-90s expansion teams, the last game coming in 2023. This will be the first time since 2015 that the Panthers will open the season in Jacksonville.

"Excited about the challenge of the Jags," Canales said Monday. "(Head coach) Liam Coen, a guy that I really respect and a bunch of talent that they've assembled there, so, a lot of excitement in both buildings. Just really looking forward to these opportunities to become us, to find the successes and find the challenges and to learn, to grow so really excited about this week."

Before the Panthers kick off practice for the week, get to know the Jaguars.

Travis Hunter could play both sides

The Jags haven't been shy about their plan to play No. 2 overall pick Travis Hunter on both sides of the ball. The Heisman winner is carrying over the workload he had in college at Colorado, and working on both offense and defense. He split his practices between OTAs and most of training camp, taking snaps on both sides in the same practices only right as the preseason began. But the Jags have managed Hunter's work, meeting, and even eating schedule down to the minute since drafting him in April.

The entire goal is to have him ready by Sunday to play as many snaps as possible on both sides. During practice, he has spent the majority of time on offense, but the Jaguars ' head coach, Liam Coen, has said that's primarily because the playbook is more complex to learn.

The Jags have stated that the number of snaps Hunter plays on one side of the ball versus the other will be dependent on matchups and personnel. For example, if Tetairoa McMillan is on the field, Hunter might also come out in a nickel defense. And according to Mike DiRocco of ESPN, if the Jaguars are in 11 personnel on offense (one running back, one tight end, three receivers), Hunter will likely be on the field.

Year 2 for Trevor Lawrence and Brian Thomas Jr.'s connection

When Coen was hired in Jacksonville this offseason, it was with the directive to retool former No. 1 overall pick Trevor Lawrence. The Clemson QB has a 22-38 record as a starter in the NFL. According to Next Gen Stats, Lawrence's completion percentage over expectation was 33rd out of 36 qualifying quarterbacks. A bright spot for the Jaguars' offense last season, though, was rookie Brian Thomas Jr. Now heading into his second year, the Jaguars are banking on the Lawrence and BTJ duo to revitalize their offense.

In 17 games (16 starts), Thomas Jr. pulled in 87 receptions for 1,282 yards and 10 touchdowns. He moved the chains 53 times. His yardage total was the third-best in the entire league and the best of any rookie.

Travon Walker and Josh Hines-Allen off the edge

The Jaguars' pass-rush is an interesting dichotomy. As a unit, they were fifth-worst in the league, with 34 total sacks. But their two primary edge rushers, Travon Walker and Josh Hines-Allen, were both in the top 30 in total sacks last season. Walker was tied for 12th most in the league with 10.5 sacks, while Hines-Allen was tied for 27th with 8.0 sacks.

As a duo, the edges can wreck a line. They combined for 5.0 sacks on Bryce Young and the Panthers during the 2023 Week 17 matchup.