Panthers Preseason Upset Torches the Under in Jacksonville

Well, that didn't go according to plan. The Panthers rolled into Jacksonville and hung 34 points on the Jaguars in a 34-17 beatdown that sent our under 37.0 straight to the scrap heap. We banked on conservative preseason football with minimal starter reps—instead, Carolina's backups decided to audition for starting jobs like their lives depended on it.

The 51 combined points obliterated a total that looked rock-solid on paper. Jacksonville's decision to limit Trevor Lawrence and the first-team offense backfired spectacularly as their depth got exposed. Meanwhile, Carolina's offense—supposedly anemic without key linemen Moton and Ekwonu—found a rhythm that had been missing all preseason. Whether it was second-stringers trying to make the roster or the Jaguars' defense taking the night off, the scoreboard kept lighting up when it should've stayed dark.

This is the preseason trap we walked into: assuming both sides would play it safe. Instead, one team showed up hungry and the other looked asleep. The under never had a chance once Carolina hit 20 by halftime. Liam Coen's "considering" starter usage turned into a full-blown disaster as Jacksonville's backups got steamrolled. Tough miss, but that's August football—unpredictable and occasionally cruel.