CHARLOTTE – People can post their pictures, share their videos, and brag about their Halloween costumes all they want; no one is touching Brad Idzik, who won years ago.

The Carolina Panthers offensive coordinator began his press conference on Thursday with a shout-out to everyone in the building who had given him candy already – by name and by candy – before launching into a story about his best costumes growing up.

There was the time his grandfather, "a carpenter, hands-on guy," according to Idzik, built a table to encircle Idzik's head as a little boy, putting his (fake) bloody head on a plate on a table.

"But my favorite one was, I was a tree," Idzik started. "My head was coming out of the hole, the tree and there's like some squirrels on the tree. It was all like paper mache, and we won; I think it was like a fourth-grade costume competition at the elementary school.

"So, every year, we had a little something in the belt, and Grandpa spent all year thinking about the plans."

At no point will the rest of this notebook top that, and there's no transition, so let's jump ahead to football.

Panthers preparing for Derek Carr at quarterback

By all accounts, Derek Carr will be starting for the New Orleans Saints on Sunday. He's missed the last three games with an oblique injury but practiced on Wednesday and Thursday, albeit in a limited role both times.

While the rookie Spencer Rattler has started the last three weeks and is still technically a possibility to play on Sunday, with Carr's practice availability, the Panthers are practicing as if he will start.

"We know that we're preparing that it's going to be Derek," defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero said Thursday.

So, what does that mean, facing Carr as opposed to Rattler?

"Well, the offense is certainly a lot more opened up with Derek," Evero admitted. "You could see the full complement of plays and what Clint's trying to do with Derek… they're similar in terms of the look and throw the ball.

"They both got the ability to run and extend plays with their legs. We understand that Derek obviously is more experienced, and it's going to have the full arsenal of the plays at his display. But it really doesn't matter. At the end of the day, we know that we got to take care of our business."

Carr went 19-23 for 200 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions in the first meeting. The Panthers know they have to be ready for that sort of production return.

"A veteran quarterback, just having a veteran out there," outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney said as to what Carr brings if playing. "Veteran leadership is going to be a very different. He knows what he's looking at; he knows the reads. He can maybe read the defense better…so it's going to be a difference."

Saints play calling could look much different this week

A lot has changed about the Saints and the Panthers since Week 1, even while more stays the same. But one thing that will undoubtedly be different is how Evero can feasibly approach the Saints offense.

In Week 1, New Orleans offensive coordinator and play caller Klint Kubiak called a game for the first time since the second half of the 2022 season after taking them over for Nathanial Hackett in Denver. Now, Kubiak has been calling plays for this Saints offense for eight weeks.

It means the Panthers game plan for the first meeting was crafted with a vastly different approach than the one for this week.

"When you don't know, you kind of default to your training camp rules and just kind of your base package stuff, and you just go play," Evero explained.

"Then when you do have the inventory (of tape) and when you do know, then it's a matter of, 'ok, we're making adjustments. We're running certain things because we think it's going to be effective against what they do.'"

There isn't one way better or worse than the other, Evero went on to say—just different, part and parcel of an evolving season.

"But at the end of the day, we know that scheme is going to be one part of it, but our tempo in terms of effort execution, physicality is going to be the main story."

Offense looking for more downfield shots as chemistry grows

Survival in the NFL can be dependent, at times, on the deep ball. It's an area the Panthers offense has been looking to grow, specifically spending time on that area of the game with Bryce Young this offseason.

On Sunday against the Broncos, Young had 10 completions of 10-plus yards. Furthermore, there were additional downfield shots on the table for the taking, according to Idzik, all signs in a positive direction.

"He had a couple that were right there. And it's a team effort, right," Idzik pointed out.

As Young's deep ball continues to develop, it will be prudent for the young receiving corps and coaches to develop alongside him.

"Just trying to hone in on, 'Ok, where could I have, you know, kept my speed a little bit more as a wideout or make the read as clear as possible from a coaching perspective, to make sure that we're getting that ball out on time.

"Xavier Legette, like there was a close miss one to him, but he's got that locked away now of, what does it feel like? When I'm coming out of this certain break on a particular route, and where is Bryce expecting me to be? They're logging all those real reps, and it's only going to continue to climb and get better as far as the execution is concerned."