So how bad are the Carolina Panthers, much worse than we expected. Oh, way back on August 30th I wrote an article stating just how bad the Carolina Panthers were in preseason. I was flooded by comments from Panthers fans, some of them are attached to my original article you can read right here. I know nothing, wait until the regular season starts, and we’re flying under the radar were among some of the comments. Apparently, the Carolina Panthers are flying so low under the radar, they might not even be recognized as an NFL team if they continue to play as they have for the first two games. The Carolina Panthers are averaging 15 first downs and 250 yards of offense after the first two games.

I watched 57 of the 65 preseason NFL games this season and Carolina was the only team to fail to score an offensive touchdown. This, despite starting 4 different quarterbacks during the preseason. Matt Moore, Jimmy Clausen, Tony Pike and Hunter Cantwell all took their turn in the barrel and all 4 failed to generate a drive which produced an offensive score.

Now many of those who left comments to my site were blindly devoted Carolina Panthers fans and they must have thought that a magic switch was going to be turned on when the regular season opened against the New York Giants. I’m sorry, if you can’t manage even one garbage time touchdown in the preseason, your team has issues. And it’s apparent now that the Carolina Panthers do have issues. Matt Moore has proved he’s not an NFL quarterback after getting sacked 8 times and throwing four interceptions in two games. Rookie Jimmy Clausen will now be under center against the Cincinnati Bengals this week and after the Bengals depart, the Panthers travel to play the New Orleans Saints and return home against the Chicago Bears before their bye week.

Jimmy Clausen could lead the team for a touchdown in the preseason, how do you think he’ll fare against the varsity squad? I heard from all the Panther fans about the dynamic duo at running back, and I agree. DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart are a great tandem, but you can’t get the running game going when you are playing from behind.

And the”salty”, as one reader put it, vaunted Carolina defense? They could not protect a first half lead against the New York Giants and could not stop the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this past Sunday, a team which finished 3-13 last season led by a quarterback who has started just 11 NFL games and is throwing to rookie receivers.

So, I’m checking back in with you Carolina fans, all of you who called me to task on my preseason assessment of the Panthers, all your comments are posted on the original article, well all of those comments that I could post. So what do you think of your team now? Still flying under the radar and going deep into the playoffs as one reader suggested?

Not with Matt Moore or Jimmy Clausen under center and that looks like your only two alternatives this season. It might be time to start thinking about the April draft in 2011 along with who will be the next coach of the Panthers.