Pounding Panthers Chronicle Week 2
WEEK 1 RECAP:
The Panthers walked off the field with heads held high and the victory firmly secured Sunday afternoon. The defensive battle produced a low scoring game for both teams. Quarterback pressure played a major factor in the Carolina Panthers playing spoiler to the rookie debut of Zach Wilson. The former BYU quarterback could be seen picking himself up from the turf all game long. The Panthers’ defense recorded six sacks on the day and it felt like more were left on the field. Phil Snow was delivering pressure from multiple angles; this was apparent both on the field and in the stat sheet. Burns, Reddick, Brown, and Thompson all showed up in the sack column. Thompson, who could be seen taking advantage of the new NFL jersey policy, and was sporting the number 7 in the season and home opener. After a glance at the stat sheet, one might think that the new number was 59, and it would have been warranted. Ten solo tackles, one sack, one interception, and three defended passes certainly could have passed for a Kuechly stat line. In a post-game interview, Thompson credited some of his performance to the new number on his jersey. The NFL’s decision to change its policy on jersey numbers or more specifically the restrictions on what numbers could be worn by what player units. On Sunday Panthers fans watched as number 7 raced around the field making one play after another. “I felt like me, just putting that (number) seven back on. I felt like the Panthers drafted me because of the plays I made in college… putting it back on brought me back to that person.” Thompson replied when asked about wearing the number seven for the game. This could be the statement game that Panthers fans have anticipated from the veteran leader and recently named Defensive Captain.
The offense came out swinging, not haymakers, but throwing punches none the less. CMC was a staple of the gameplan in both the running and passing aspects. McCaffrey lead the way with nine targets, and Moore was a close second with eight. The RB position will be used as a workhorse regardless of who is lining up in the backfield. In the absence of McCaffrey we saw Mike Davis, now playing with Atlanta, used in the same workhorse role that has been placed on CMC. Darnold delivered a game manager performance to help secure the win against his former team. He hooked up with former Jets teammate Robby Anderson for a 57-yard bomb for a TD, showing off the arm strength that had been absent in past years. Anderson caught the 40+ air-yards pass in stride, jetting into the endzone, wings extended, chin strap locked in the upright position, and the points secured on the scoreboard. The lone turnover for the Panthers came on a mismanaged redzone exchange between Darnold and CMC. The offensive line struggled to offer a clean pocket in Darnold’s debut as Panthers QB. Only one sack was allowed on the day which may have to be marked as a victory in its own right.
2 In a Row?
The Panthers will look to improve their record to 2-0 Sunday against divisional rival New Orleans Saints. This is a feat that has only been accomplished three times since 2010 for the black and blue. The Saints will be marching into Bank of America Stadium after a major upset against the Packers in week 1. Jameis Winston finished the opening week with a never before seen stat line in the NFL. Winston had five touchdown passes and less than 150 yards passing for the game. Sunday the Saints will attempt to repeat their success against the mean front seven of the Carolina Panthers. Winston might be slightly more mobile than the Jets rookie QB, but there is enough speed at both Edge Rusher and Linebacker to contain the speedy veteran. The aggressive attacking schemes of a Sean Payton offense will be the first true test for the Panthers’ secondary. Outside of Corey Davis, the Jets WR corps is not one that compares to Payton’s ability to scheme players open. Rookie CB Jaycee Horn is likely to be challenged more than what we saw in the Jets game. The Carolina defense will also be tested by a much better running back in Alvin Kamara. A repeat performance by the Carolina defense could show budding signs of a top-tier defense in the league. I do think the Green Bay game in many ways was a fluke game. The Winston stat is nice on paper but honestly that does not occur if the Packers’ offense moves the ball at all. Panthers’ fans know how badly Winston can play from his time in Tampa; it doesn’t matter if he can see the receivers, you can’t throw passes from your back. This defense is hungry for quarterbacks
Question marks still stand for the Panthers’ offense, we saw both pros and cons in their performance Sunday. The Panthers racked up 16 first half points but sputtered in the second half only managing to muster a field goal. The run game offered a consistent outlet for the offense, picking up 3 and 4 yard chunks at a time. If a clean pocket can be offered, Darnold has the ability to play well against this defense. The Saints secondary is a better unit than what was faced in week 1, but the Panthers have enough weapons to find favorable matchups. Barring any major mistakes by the offensive line, Darnold could prove to be adequate in Joe Brady’s system. This coaching regime will look to go 2-0 for the first time by knocking out their division foe.
Rookie Matchups:
High-profile top 10 draft pick Jaycee Horn came out strong in his first game in a Panthers’ jersey. A lack of targeting could be a direct outcome of the pressure put forth by the front seven of the defense. Horn collected 3 total tackles in Sunday’s victory. As a CB the fact that we don’t have much to talk about is a good thing. Horn seemed to cling to the Jets WR that lined up across from him on the right side of the field. On some plays this had Horn matchup with veteran Corey Davis. Outside of a late touchdown in garbage time to bring things back within a one touchdown game there was little bad to say about the Panthers’ secondary. This unit will be wearing a bullseye in this week’s matchup with New Orleans. Even with Michael Thomas sidelined the Saints will likely look to strike through the air against the Panther’ D. The other rookie being watched Sunday came in with a productive performance hauling in the majority of his receptions on the day. The rookie had 6 targets on the day. Marshall Jr. was seen lining up at the No.2 WR spot for some plays, with Anderson lining up in the slot. The rookie’s size could be one reason for this and will be something to watch for as the season moves on. Anderson’s recently signed contract extension leads us to believe that he will be a large component in the season as a whole.
Offensive Line… Concerns
No doubt the largest area of concern for the Carolina Panthers is at the offensive line. I saw multiple pass rush statistics that rated the Panthers’ performance as one of the worst in the NFL this past Sunday. This is definitely concerning to see, but also something that should be taken with a grain of salt. In today’s world as a fan everyone has their own stats and ratings, often certain data points are weighted to different degrees, and that can vary from source to source. I’m not here to tell you that the Panthers O-line is one of the better units in the league, but the season is still young. Teams will scheme to exploit known holes, and it will be the job of Brady’s staff to help scheme to cover up those same holes. Darnold is able to throw on the move, allowing for wrinkles like sliding the pocket, jet sweeps being another growing tool to slow down defensive lines in the NFL, chip blocks on the edge, and other gadgets will be needed to help this O-line to be successful. There is a top-tier RB in the backfield, teams will stack the box, teams will bring pressure, and that means 1vs1 matchups at the line. The half-step delay caused by a jet sweep or play-action buys can be enough of a step to turn the tide of a play. We don’t need our big men up front to be All-Pro players for the offense to be successful. I blame the play calling and the coaching staff for the performance in the second half of the Jets game. The redzone fumble did not derail the momentum of the Panthers’ offense in the first half and left many wondering why Brady chose to take his foot off of the throttle.
Wait…Who?
On Sunday we saw multiple players rocking new numbers for the Panthers defense Sunday afternoon. As aforementioned Shaq Thompson was the most notable player to show up in their new numbers or in Shaq’s case an old number. Jeremy Chinn could be seen wearing the number 30 in honor of Steph Curry. Chinn will be wearing a different number for each home game; the number will represent a former great player from the North and South Carolina area. Chinn is keeping it under wraps what numbers will be worn when. The jersey will be signed after the game and auctioned for charity. The money raised will go to the charities represented by the person being honored. Personally I love the idea from two aspects. It’s a great way for a player to give back to the community and it causes havoc for other teams with film study. There was some squawking from the Jets organization about the changes. Pretty sure no issues would have been raised if the Jets had won Sunday. DJ Moore joined the duo in wearing a new number for the season switching to the number 2. It’s clear the NFL decision to change its jersey policy has gone over well in the Panthers’ locker room.
Rumble in the Backfield
The Carolina defense did not disappoint in their performance against the Jets’ offense. All game the Panthers controlled and dominated the line of scrimmage. If a similar performance isn’t put forth against New Orleans I would not be surprised. Beating a Sean Payton lead offense does not always mean getting to the quarterback to have success. In the past, that meant keeping Drew Brees off of the field. The speed and strength on the defensive line will help counter some of the longer downfield developing pass plays you find in the Saints’ offense. It will be on display if Winston has lost a step or two since his time starting in Tampa Bay. Containment will be a top priority when facing off against a player of Kamara’s talent. For a player like Burns and Reddick setting the edge in the run game will be just as important as getting to the quarterback. It will be up to players like Derrick Brown to make selfless plays that don’t show up on a stat sheet. Eating up a double team isn’t pretty, but seeing Shaq or Chinn flying through that hole is. Against the Jets, we saw pressure and sacks come from less conventional sources. A Marquise Haynes has the chance to win 1vs1 matchups as teams try to stop the likes of Burns, Reddick, and company with double teams. I stated this before week 1 and it’s a natural fact; teams can’t double team everyone. In Sunday’s game against the Saints, we will see if this defense can get off the field in crucial 3rd downs. This has been an area of concern in years past and will be pivotal if the Panthers want to come away with their second win of the season.