Offensive line earns silver lining for Carolina Panthers in otherwise-awful Week 1

Dave Canales’s debut season as an NFL head coach in 2024 saw the Carolina Panthers make progress after the club got off to a miserable 1-7 start. The team won four of its final nine games, and more than doubled its victory total from the previous season (2-15). Quarterback Bryce Young put together a solid 10-game finish and showed great progress after Canales had sat him down after two weeks.

While the young signal-caller got his share of attention for his second-half turnaround, the strength of the Panthers proved to be the play of a much-improved offensive line. Ranked No. 29 by Pro Football Focus in 2023, Carolina’s bolstered front was the eighth-best unit in the league this past season.

“The Panthers' offensive line was arguably the biggest positive surprise of the season,” explained PFF’s Zoltán Buday, "and the most improved unit prior to injuries derailing its season. In fact, all starters missed at least one game due to injury this season.

"While Carolina’s offensive line ranked 27th in PFF pass-blocking efficiency rating in 2023, the unit finished with a 12th-ranked 85.9 rating in 2024. The front five surrendered 154 pressures—including 22 sacks—on 626 pass plays.”

Panthers’ offensive line was a bright spot in loss to Jaguars

So much for late-season momentum. Five days at Jacksonville, Canales’s offense gained just 255 yards and Young turned over the ball three times in a perplexing 26-10 loss. However, not all the news was bad (via The 33rd Team) as Carolina’s offensive front turned in a solid game without starting left tackle Ikem Ekwonu.