The Panthers are coming off a tough loss in which they made too many mistakes and lost one of the most important battles by turning the ball over three times and being unable to take it away from a rookie quarterback, which led to them losing the ultimate battle: on the scoreboard. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will host the Panthers this week and will rely on their strong defensive interior to contain Newton with Jameis Winston and their aerial attack to take advantage of the Panthers hot and cold secondary. As always, our five part preview:
Five Panthers We Have Questions About:
#28 Jonathan Stewart, Running Back
Will Stewart be able to create yardage against another stiff rushing defense? Will his offensive line give him room to rush? Will we see him rush more between the tackles this week? Can he provide a spark for the rest of the offense? Will he see an increase in snap count due to McCaffrey’s struggles rushing between the tackles?
#58 Thomas Davis, Linebacker
Has he really been playing with broken ribs this season? Because if he has, then his ability to move in coverage is just astounding considering rib injuries make breathing, bending and rotating painful. Will his snap count decrease in an attempt to give him rest? Will the Buccaneers try to play him more physical because of this news? Will he pick off Jameis Winston?
#60 Daryl Williams, Right Tackle
Through seven weeks Williams has been the best offensive lineman for the Panthers. Can Williams become a leader and help this offensive line mesh? Is it time to move Williams to left tackle? Will the Buccaneers overload his side or will they try to pick on Matt Kalil? Can Williams be left on an island against Robert Ayers?
#13 Kelvin Benjamin, Wide Receiver
Should he see a decrease in snaps with the rise of Devin Funchess and his lingering knee injury? Can he put up a big performance against the Buccaneers’ short secondary? Have Benjamin and Cam Newton lost their connection or is his decline in performance due more to injury and poor overall offensive performances? Can Benjamin make an impact as a blocker on screens and sweeps?
#90 Julius Peppers, Edge Rusher
Last week against the Chicago Bears, Peppers didn’t record a sack, which is only the second time this year he hasn’t recorded one, will he have success against the Buccaneers offensive line? Can he help the defense create turnovers? Will he see more snaps considering his productivity or will he continue to be used sparingly? When he isn’t on the field who will provide a real pass rushing threat?
Four important matchups:
James Bradberry vs Mike Evans
Last year in week 17 Mike Evans scored what turned out to be the game-winning touchdown against James Bradberry in coverage. However, for most of the day Bradberry won the matchup and allowed the Panthers to focus on other targets in the passing game. If Bradberry can contain Evans this week, the Panthers secondary can provide safety help for whoever is assigned DeSean Jackson. If Bradberry can’t match Evans physicality, the secondary will be in for a long day as they will be forced to keep more players off of the line of scrimmage which in turn will give Winston more time to find Jackson and Evans for big plays.
Trai Turner vs Gerald McCoy
This matchup has been fun to watch year after year. Turner and McCoy have provided some of the best tape to analyze since Turner entered the league and should continue to do so this year. If McCoy can get the better of Turner this week then the Panthers will need to keep a running back in as a pass blocker or find another way to create a bigger buffer between McCoy and Newton. If Turner can win this matchup, the rest of the offensive line can focus on Robert Ayers who has quietly been a stud this year and could be a serious issue for the Panthers anemic offense.
Demar Dotson vs Julius Peppers
The Bucs’ offensive line has not been good in years, but Demar Dotson has been good enough to provide hope for the fan base and is easily their best offensive lineman. If Peppers is going to record a sack this game, it will likely come rushing the edge against Dotson and if he is successful at pressuring Winston then the rest of the Panthers defensive line will be able to build off of it and create pressure against the weaker links on the offensive line. If Dotson can handle Peppers, then the Panthers will rely on Kawann Short and Mario Addison to disrupt the backfield and make plays, which isn’t a bad scenario in itself.
Christian McCaffrey vs Lavonte David
This is a matchup that I have had circled on my calendar since the Panthers drafted Christian McCaffrey. Lavonte David is an athletic linebacker who resembles Thomas Davis and as such will be the biggest test for McCaffrey so far this season. If McCaffrey can create separation against David, it might be time to make him a full-time receiver because running backs aren’t supposed to beat players like David in coverage. If David can mirror McCaffrey, the Panthers’ offense could struggle more than it has in the past few weeks, which would make for an insanely frustrating game.
Three Things the Panthers Need To Do To Win:
Pressure Winston
The Buccaneers have a strong passing attack thanks in part to the combination of size, speed and route running provided by Mike Evans and DeSean Jackson; however, the passing attack has also been their main source of offense due to the ground game not providing the offense with consistent yardage. In other words, if the Panthers can disrupt the passing game then the Buccaneers offense will be in a precarious position. The best way to disrupt any passing game is to pressure the quarterback and as such, pressuring Winston should be the Panthers first priority as a defense. If the defense can’t get to Winston then they will need to rely on their secondary to keep two of the NFL’s best receivers in check which is a tall order, to say the least.
Score
In order to win football games a team must score. Simple enough, right? Unfortunately for Panthers fans, the offense has been inept at scoring points this season. If the Panthers are going to win on Sunday the offense will need to convert drives into points instead of driving downfield and turning the ball over or punting from the opponents 38.
Limit mistakes
Whether last weeks game came down to three plays or 50 plays, we can all agree that the primary reason the Panthers lost was their own mistakes. If the Panthers can do a better job of diagnosing and executing they will have a much better chance to win this week. If Newton can progress through his reads and make the right decision quicker or the offensive line can identify the pass rushers correctly or the receivers stop playing hot potato with the football then the Panthers offense could look very different than it has the past two weeks.
Two Reasons The Panthers Could Lose:
The Buccaneers contain the Panthers offense
The Panthers defense has been terrible at creating turnovers this year which means that the burden of putting up points falls on the offense. If the Buccaneers can contain the Panthers offense and keep them from putting up points then it doesn’t matter how well the Panthers defense plays, they will lose.
Evans and Jackson find room
If Mike Evans and DeSean Jackson can find room to work in the Panthers secondary, then it is game over. This duo has the potential to be the best receiver duo in football and if the Panthers can’t keep them in check, they will need to rely on the offense to win this game.
One Bold Prediction: The Panthers Defense Records Two Interceptions
Hasn’t happened since Week 14 of last season, but you know what? Turnovers come in bunches, and I’m betting the Panthers have two in Tampa against Jameis.
