Coming into the season, this was likely the least interesting game in the eyes of a lot of Panthers fans. Cleveland has long been the laughing stock of the NFL, and despite hiring a new coach, there didn’t seem to be a lot of faith in the Browns.
This sentiment was exacerbated by new Head Coach Todd Monken naming local pariah Deshaun Watson as starter instead of the fan-favorite Shedeur Sanders, and then promptly getting blown out in Week 1 in Jacksonville.
Then, in the middle of a monsoon in Tampa, things changed. Watson led his team from a 16-6 deficit to a 23-19 victory, throwing two touchdowns in the second half to finish the comeback.
Cleveland’s defense also played well in this game, but the uncharacteristic clean and confident play from Watson is what sealed the win - and likely his spot as the starter for the Brown’s home-opener this weekend.
While myself and every other Carolina fan are grateful for Cleveland beating the Buccaneers last week, the Panthers cannot let them get two in a row.
Not only would that put Carolina at 1-2 in a suddenly-contested NFC South, but the road schedule for the Panthers is much less favorable later in the season (GB, PIT, MIN, PHI, TB, NO) compared to the games before the Week 5 bye.
For a team that has struggled on the road during the Bryce Young era, the Panthers need to take as many as they can get.
Carolina is currently by 2.5 points on the road. Let’s take a look at some of the keys the Panthers need to hit in order to start a road win streak, and a win streak as the pre-game favorites.
Keys To Victory
1) Make Watson uncomfortable
As I mentioned above, Watson’s clean game in Tampa is not necessarily the norm. Throughout his time in Cleveland, Watson’s much-maligned statline reads 22 touchdowns to 13 interceptions in 21 games across four seasons.
Creating pressure on Watson will be important in this matchup. Coming into the season, Cleveland has fielded an entire new cast of starting offensive linemen who have never played together before.
Rookies Austin Barber and Spencer Fano have looked promising, but are still rookies that can be schemed against with matchups against the Panthers defensive front.
This will need to be a big game from guys like Jaelan Phillips and Pat Jones, as limiting the run and containing in the pass game can makes things fall apart quickly for Watson.
The health of the defensive front seven will be something to watch as the week progresses.
2) Contain Cleveland’s young weapons
One way to make life difficult for Watson on Sunday is to contain the explosive ability of the Browns young skill players. Between Harold Fannin Jr, Denzel Boston, and KC Concepcion, the Browns have a bevy of explosive pass-catchers that can do damage.
Boston in particular has had a strong start to his rookie season. The young receiver is averaging 77 yards per game and has two touchdowns, one of which helped spark the comeback victory in Tampa last week.
Concepcion and Fannin are also unique matchup problems. Concepcion is a pure speedster that, if given the opportunity, could take advantage of the soft coverage the Panthers like to deploy.
Fannin is a yards after catch (YAC) machine, and can cause trouble matching up against linebackers and safeties that struggle with coverage. If Carolina is forced to play reserves in this game due to some early injuries, Fannin will be a point of emphasis on defense.
3) Keep trying the run
Yes, Bryce Young has been on an absolute heater to start the season as a passer. But, the Panthers still need to find a more balanced approach on offense, especially early in the season before the competition gets a bit tougher.
Finding footing in the run game may be more difficult than anticipated with the placement of Jonathon Brooks on IR, but Carolina still needs to push through.
Against Tampa Bay, Cleveland allowed 137 yards rushing, a number that would easily be the Panthers season-high.
Getting Chuba Hubbard, AJ Dillon, and practice squad call-up Tre Tyus each a good amount of touches against a weaker run defense should be enough to get a strong run performance started for this season.
If the run doesn’t work, at least Brad Idzik has shown he can lean on Bryce Young.
4) Erase penalties
Perhaps the most frustrating part of the Panthers blowout win in Atlanta was the performance of the offensive line. Against a beleaguered Falcons defensive front, Bryce Young was pressured on 51% of his dropbacks, and the run blocking was much better.
Despite all of this, the part that is most concerning in my opinion were the penalties. Throughout the entire first half, penalties from the offensive line disrupted the progress made by Young and the skill players.
Rob Hunt alone had three penalties on the first two drives, almost knocking Carolina out of scoring range.
Through two weeks, Carolina ranks top five in both penalties accepted and penalty yardage - numbers would do not want to see.
If reckless and undisciplined play continues, it may end up losing games for the Panthers down the stretch.
There’s a lot at stake for Carolina this week.
Sure, it’s only Week 3, but stealing a second consecutive road win, and having two wins this early in the season would be massive in terms of playoff positioning.
In the Bryce Young era, the Panthers have gotten their second win in each of the following weeks:
2023 - Week 15, vs ATL 9-7
2024 - Week 9 vs NO, 23-22
2025 - Week 5 vs MIA, 27-24
For a team with playoff aspirations, the Panthers need to stack road wins and early wins.
Both of those can be achieved with a strong performance in Cleveland.