Offense Line Needs Some Clarity, and Health
The Panthers have started four different left tackles this season, with Daryl Williams also having started at right guard and right tackle, bringing the total number of left tackles to have started in the six seasons since Jordan Gross retired to a nice round 10. What is even harder to understand is the use of multiple different healthy tackles in the same game, as they have done twice this season, both times rotating Daryl Williams with a rookie. While the idea of not throwing a rookie to the wolves isn’t completely insane, with Daley having started the last two games at left tackle without such help, it really is very hard to see why the Panthers have continued with this.
Of course, the Panthers have once again had to deal with a number of injuries on the offensive line, with the concussion to Greg Little continuing to linger – but if they are able to get him back healthy, the Panthers need to work out what they are doing in terms of the offensive line. If Little is healthy, it seems likely that he would be the first choice to start at left tackle, and that probably means that Daley doesn’t end up starting right now, but given how he has played it should not be ruled out that he will be considered an option at either left guard or even right tackle in the future.
However, in terms of the Titans game specifically, the Panthers need to have some degree of clarity on the offensive line – if Daley continues to start at left tackle in Little’s absence, the Panthers have to commit to that. While the Titans’ pass defense has actually been really quite good so far this season, that has been largely due to their coverage and not their pass rush, ranking 10th in completion percentage allowed and 8th in interception rate, but just 22nd in pressure rate. If the Panthers aren’t able to protect whoever ends up playing quarterback then they are likely to be in for a very long day at the office.
Getting Pressure Is A Must
The Titans’ offensive line isn’t very good, the Panthers’ pass rush is one of the most productive in the NFL, so on paper it should be a long day at the office for Ryan Tannehill, but the Panthers need to make sure that the game goes just as well in this regard on the field as these facts would suggest. While the Panthers’ defense as a whole on Sunday, the pass rush was still relatively effective, getting three sacks and a safety for good measure, even without Brian Burns playing a huge role. For the season, the Panthers still rank second in total sacks and seventh in pressure percentage – they will have a good chance to add to those numbers on Sunday.
Only the Jets allow a higher sack rate than the Titans, who have given up a league-leading 34 sacks through eight games this season, despite having played a Falcons team that has as many losses on the season as they have sacks. They have had particular issues at tackle, where both Lewan and Conklin have really struggled to this point, with the interior of their offensive line not exactly covering themselves in glory either. In short, having been run all over to the run of 51 points against the 49ers, this Titans game is a chance for the Panthers defense to get back to what it had been doing for the month prior – making quarterbacks’ lives miserable.
The effectiveness of the Panthers’ pass rush shouldn’t be judged based just on sacks, though they are always welcome, but rather on their ability to make opposing quarterbacks uncomfortable. While they will face bigger challenges as the season goes on, they need to make sure there is no hangover as there was last season after the Steelers loss, and hit the ground running with a fresh slate on Sunday.
The Run Game Needs To Stop Stuttering
Christian McCaffrey had 117 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries on Sunday, good for a per-carry average of 8.4 – given the Panthers were trailing big for most of the game, it is hard to complain that he wasn’t given the ball more. However, given that he had a pair of 40 yard carries, the fact that he gained 37 yards on the remaining 12 carries is somewhat less impressive. This has really been the story all season for the Panthers, as they have broken off a load of big runs, but have struggled to use the run game to consistently put themselves ahead of the chains. That isn’t going to get any easier facing the Titans’ second ranked run defense.
A major reason for this inconsistency is the amount of pressure the Panthers’ running scheme puts on the offensive line, as while this means they are able to create some big plays when it works, it also means they run the risk of a large number of their rushing plays failing to work out as designed as the blockers are unable to execute their assignments consistently. This is all well and good when you are running rampant over the Jaguars, but when you are in a close game and need to be able to sustain drives and keep your defense off the field, it is less good.
Of course, the best outcome would be for the Panthers to take a little from column A and a little from column be and end up with an adaptable run game that allows them to do either depending on the situations, but having struggled mightily to run the ball twice against the Bucs this season, the Panthers need to show that they can use the run to consistently keep them ahead of the chains against good defenses, and that means keeping things simple and running the ball between the tackles where McCaffrey can use his vision and quickness to get positive yardage quickly and consistently.
The Panthers should beat the Titans; if they do, that doesn’t really change the lie of the land in terms of the playoffs a huge amount, but if they fall at this moderately difficult hurdle, then it’s hard to imagine they will be able to surmount some of the bigger challenges that lie ahead between them and the playoffs.
