It’s been a while, but the Panthers play another football game this weekend.
Coming off of back-to-back losses, the team has made changes to the defensive coaching staff. For the rest of the season, DL Coach Todd Wash will be calling the defensive plays.
Carolina can’t dwell on the coaching change for too long - they have a home matchup against one of the better teams in the NFL, the Denver Broncos. Denver has an overwhelming talent advantage, and has started to live up to the hype since Sean Payton took back the play-calling reins.
It’s going to take a lot for the Panthers to pull off the upset at home. Let’s take a look at what the team needs to do specifically to make it happen.
Keys to Victory
1) Do some OL patchwork
During the post-Green Bay press conference, Dave Canales indicated that the team would be taking a look at everything, including mixing up the offensive line.
Changes to this unit would be welcomed. Not only is this group the worst in the NFL at protecting the quarterback (Rasheed Walker has personally contributed to Bryce Young’s knee and ankle injuries), this group also struggles in creating decent running lanes for Chuba Hubbard.
The return of do-it-all lineman Brady Christensen to practice could provide some relief, but really the entire offensive line needs to be reworked to get this team functional on offense again.
Don’t be surprised if new starters are in place for this game. Moving Monroe Freeling back to his natural position of left tackle could prove to be an upgrade over Walker, who has allowed the most pressures from any left tackle this season.
2) Attack
One of the big talking points in the transition from Evero to Wash is the deployment of the defensive front. Carolina can’t just become a 4-3 team overnight after being a base 3-4 team for almost four seasons, but they can change some of the responsibilities for the defensive linemen.
Namely, attacking the quarterback instead of being more passive will be a focus under Wash. Wash’s background has been coaching the defensive line; he should know how to best utilize the players on his front.
During Thursday’s press conference, Wash named Turk Wharton, Lee Hunter, and Aaron Hall as defensive linemen that have had experience in attacking fronts, and indicated that similar success could be found here in Carolina.
Whoever the players are that suit up on Sunday, attacking Bo Nix will be the priority. Nix has had some low moments this season, and they mostly came when he was pressured and forced to make quick decisions.
3) Find the deep pass
It seems like this is a weekly request at this point, but the Panthers have to be able to find the deep passing game again. During the last two games, Bryce Young has rarely had time to dial up something deep.
If the offensive line can’t do their job, it’s up to the coaching staff to be able to find ways for downfield shots to be a part of the game. Calling more play action, extra protection, or even trick plays could be ways to make this happen.
Young himself has to maintain his level of play from the beginning of the season as well. For as much of a poor situation that’s been placed around him, Young still has had opportunities - albeit few and far between - to make big plays happen, and has missed them over the last few games.
It’ll take everyone, but opening up the deep end of the defense, especially against Denver’s staunch unit, might allow for an easier time in the run game.
4) Stay disciplined
The penalty issue has decreased since the 159-yard blunder earlier this season, but this team must remain steady. With the injuries Carolina has sustained, they can hardly afford to move backwards on offense or move the opposing offense forward.
Discipline doesn’t only mean playing within the rules of the game. Making sure you do the little things, from completing a catch to communicating well on defense, have been issues for this team as of late.
Unfortunately, the reality of the state of this team will not allow for consistently making mistakes that can pile up over the course of a game. Staying disciplined, however, can give the Panthers the chance to hang with almost anyone.
Despite having the rest advantage, the Broncos are a tough matchup. Denver is arguably the most talented group of players and coaches that the Panthers will face this regular season - and for good reason.
On top of this, Denver seems to be hitting their stride at the right time, involving new players like Jaylen Waddle and Jonah Coleman, while getting players back on defense.
It won’t be easy, but if Carolina takes care of business, while getting back to the successes of the first month of the season, the Panthers might be able to pull off the upset with a little bit of home cooking.
