CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Frank Reich was the starting quarterback for the Carolina Panthers when the then-expansion franchise made its first trip to Buffalo in 1995. Rookie Kerry Collins took over the next week after Reich’s dreadful performance in the 31-9 loss to the Buffalo Bills. After losing his first two starts, Collins won seven of his next 11 that season and was 9-3 the next.

Fast forward to Sunday’s game at Buffalo (1 p.m. ET, FOX). Cam Newton is the starter, but coach Matt Rhule also plans to use P.J. Walker -- in part because Newton has struggled with four turnovers the past two games and in part because he’s still learning the system.

On top of that, Sam Darnold, sidelined by a shoulder injury since Week 9, has been designated for return to practice and could be ready to play in a couple of weeks.

With that trio of quarterbacks, the Panthers (5-8) have the NFL’s worst passing attack and worst total quarterback rating (24.5) since Week 5. That’s a big reason why they’ve lost eight of their past 10 games.

In the opinion of Hall of Fame executive Bill Polian, the solution doesn’t appear to be on the roster, unlike 1995.

“They’re between a rock and a hard place,’’ said Polian, the general manager of the Panthers in ’95 and the Bills the seven years before that. “When that guy is there, whether he’s a fledgling rookie or a grizzled veteran, when he’s in the building, all you’ve got to do is get him in the lineup and the rest of it is relatively straight forward.

“When he’s not in the building, and that appears to be the case right now, that’s when it’s really hard.’’

Statistics support the answer is not at Bank of America Stadium. Newton, Darnold and Walker have a combined QBR of 34.5, which ranks 27th in the NFL, according to ESPN Stats and Information. Their combined completion percentage (58.6) ranks 30th, and their touchdown-to-interception ratio (11-17) ranks 31st.

Since Week 5, the trio’s combined stats rank last in every major category except average passing yards, where they rank 31st.

Their combined 34.5 total QBR for the season ranks 27th, above only the Detroit Lions (29.1), Chicago Bears (31.5), New York Jets (31.7), Houston Texans (32.3) and Jacksonville Jaguars (32.5). Those teams have a combined record of 12-52-1.

“It’s always a dilemma if the guy, quote, unquote, isn’t there,’’ Polian said.

To complicate the dilemma is whether the Panthers should continue exploring if Newton can be the answer (despite current evidence suggesting he is not) or find a way to get Darnold back on the field (when evidence suggests he’s also not the answer).

For now, the former is the only option because Rhule has “no idea’’ when doctors will clear Darnold to practice fully. He suggests Darnold is a week or two out from that.

And there is a sense the Panthers already know what they have in Darnold, so there’s no reason to play him.

Polian, for one, would play Darnold if cleared medically. He reminds that Darnold was 3-0 with Christian McCaffrey to start the season and his struggles began after the running back was injured in Week 3.

Darnold, 24, also is the only quarterback under contract in 2022 because the Panthers picked up his fifth-year option, guaranteeing him $18.7 million. So, barring a trade, which is highly unlikely because of his overall performance, Darnold will be with Carolina next year.

Newton is 32. He is 0-3 this season at Carolina and has lost his past 11 starts with the Panthers, dating back to an Oct. 14, 2018 win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers the week before a shoulder injury derailed his career. Age and performance work against him.

Walker, despite a 2-0 record as the starter the past two seasons, is considered no better than a backup at best.

“I wouldn’t hesitate [to play Darnold] as long as he was physically able to do it,’’ Polian said. “I don’t know that I’ve seen enough from Cam to tell me that I would invest in his future.’’

The decision on whether to play Darnold again this season seemed simple when the Panthers initially signed Newton. They were 4-5 and still in the thick of the NFC playoff hunt.

The decision looked better after an upset at the Arizona Cardinals the next week, when Newton, in only eight plays, ran and threw for a touchdown.

Since then, things have unraveled for Newton – a 17.05 QBR the past two games -- to the point Carolina has to consider playing Darnold when healthy.

“Sam’s future is still ahead of him,’’ Polian said. “That would lead me to want to say, ‘Let me see what he’s like now after he’s had a time to heal up.’ Obviously, without CMC he’s at a disadvantage.

“But I’d be inclined to want to get him back there because he’s going to be here next year. The quicker you get him in the lineup, at least from my perspective, the better all of that will be.’’

That doesn’t mean Polian believes Darnold is the answer moving forward. It just means the Panthers need to find out what they have.

Polian reminds there are always answers. Look no further than the 2002 Panthers with Chris Weinke, Rodney Peete and Randy Fasani as the options. That seemed as hopeless as this season.

The following offseason, Carolina signed New Orleans Saints backup Jake Delhomme in free agency. Undrafted in 1997 out of Louisiana-Lafayette and with only two NFL starts under his belt after spending time in NFL Europe. He led Carolina to an 11-5 regular-season record and the Super Bowl in his first year.

To Polian’s point, the Panthers don’t have to be in the running for a big-name quarterback this offseason via trade or free agency. And they don’t necessarily have to spend a first-round pick on a quarterback when there are other needs just as pressing.

“Somebody is always out there,’’ Polian said. “The question is, can you find him? It just makes it harder when he’s not on the roster.’’