CHARLOTTE (BLACK & BLUE KICKOFF LIVE) — The Panthers are in Bank of America Stadium for the first time this season against the Los Angeles Chargers, and looking to get their first win of the season.
The Los Angeles Chargers come to town with a new head coach and duo at running back. Head coach Jim Harbaugh, the National Champion with the University of Michigan in 2023, won his first game in Week 1 against the Raiders.
Harbaugh likes to run the ball, and he brought in two running backs from his brother’s team, John’s Baltimore Ravens, in the off-season. In Week 1, J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards combined for 161 rushing yards and one touchdown on 21 carries. The Panthers will need to their defensive line to step up in Derrick Brown’s absence to slow down the running game.
The Chargers run defense is just as good. They led up the 2nd-fewest yards per carry (3.2) in Week 1, only behind the Saints who allowed the Panthers to just 2.9 yards per carry.
The offense, for now, runs through Bryce Young who will need to step up to lead this offense to more than 10 points. Young had 161 passing yards and two interceptions on only 43.3% completion, the worst in the league among all quarterbacks with at least 10 attempts.
It was the exact opposite on the defensive side of the ball, where the Panthers allowed Derek Carr to complete 82.6% of his passes, the highest completion rate in the league.
This will be the eighth meeting all-time between the Panthers and Chargers. The Panthers lead the season series 6-1. Carolina won the previous match-up four years ago 21-16.
Sunday’s Week 2 contest from Bank of America Stadium between the Los Angeles Chargers and the Carolina Panthers starts at 1 p.m.
