There are a lot of worries that the Carolina Panthers need to expel in their Week 1 matchup against the New Orleans Saints. Will Dave Canales be able to unlock Bryce Young just like he did to Baker Mayfield? Is the squad going to be good enough to contend in the revamped NFC South? Those two questions and many more come to mind but there seems to be a concern heading into the weekend and it all revolves around Miles Sanders.
The Panthers saw Miles Sanders go down with a finger injury during their preparations for the Saints matchup, per Steve Reed of the Associated Press. The running back hit his hand on one of their defender’s helmets and he was in immediate pain. He was quickly rushed and sidelined so that the injury could get wrapped up. It was advised that he get it checked by a medical professional but Sanders claimed that he should be fine.
Coach Dave Canales shares the same sentiment as the Panthers running back. He even went a step further by claiming that Sanders should be ready come their Week 1 clash with the Saints. However, it can’t be helped that the elite rusher had some negative feelings towards the incident.
“Sucks this happened before Week 1,” he noted.
How good has Miles Sanders been for the Panthers?
Along with Bryce Young, the Panthers faithful are anticipating a big jump from their running back. Sanders experienced a big dip in his production since he departed from the Philadelphia Eagles system. To put it into perspective, he was a Pro Bowl selection in 2022 and had the worst year of his career in 2023. His 259 rushing attempts for 1,269 rushing yards devolved into 432 rushing yards throughout 129 rushing attempts.
The Panthers could have utilized him better. Instead, he was only able to start five games out of 16 appearances. Understandably, they wanted Bryce Young to develop an elite passing game and some chemistry with his receivers. A consequence of this will be Sanders getting chances to run the ball.
Hopefully, the Panthers recognize that they have a Pro Bowl selection in their hands. This might lead to a more balanced point of attack in the coming season. Despite the injury to Sanders, the game against the Saints will be a good litmus test as to how they are able to utilize him optimally. Will there be any significant changes to the Panthers’ point of attack?
