Carolina Panthers run game preps for tough Philadelphia Eagles defense
Carolina Panthers ball carriers face a tough test against the Philadelphia Eagles defense.
The Carolina Panthers run game has statistically been among the best in the league but those numbers are a bit deceiving. Entering Week 7, the Panthers rank No. 4 in the NFL for yards per game (139.4) while averaging five yards per carry.
Running back Christian McCaffrey has 349 of the team’s 697 yards and 71 of 140 carries, accounting for roughly half of the rushing totals. Many teams now employ more than one back to carry the workload but by comparison, McCaffrey’s numbers are far less than any other member of the top-four rushing attacks in the league.
Todd Gurley has 70-percent of carries for the Los Angeles Rams and Ezekiel Elliott, 68-percent for the Dallas Cowboys. The third ranked San Francisco 49ers utilize a two-back system with Matt Breida and Alfred Morris sharing the workload at 38-percent and 37-percent, respectively. McCaffrey has just 50-percent of the carries and backup C.J. Anderson has just 17 touches all year.
Quarterback Cam Newton makes up the difference but if McCaffrey is going to be the lead back then it’s time he started getting an equal amount of carries. In three of the five games Carolina has played, McCaffrey has carried the football 10 times or less and he has yet to score on the ground this season.
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The Eagles defense ranks second against the run, allowing only 79.8 yards rushing to their opponents, nearly 60 less than the Panthers accumulate. When these two meet up on Sunday, something has to give.
Last week Carolina abandoned their rushing attack, in part due to being down 17-0 in the first half. Expect the Panthers to take some early chances in the run game this week using misdirection and even some jet sweep action to get other ball carriers involved. If unsuccessful, the outcome may rest on the arm of Newton and his receivers.
Not an ideal situation for offensive coordinator Norv Turner or the Panthers offense, especially with no threat of a running game. Hopefully the team doesn’t get stuck in that situation and can get McCaffrey or Anderson – who has been forgotten about playing just 12 snaps over the past three games combined – going early in the contest.
The Eagles defense has held a majority of their opponents in check, limiting all lead backs not named Saquon Barkley to less than 36 yards rushing and no touchdowns. They have shown signs of weakness against mobile quarterbacks as the Titans Marcus Mariota ran for 46 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries, even Andrew Luck scrambled for 33 yards.
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No stranger to carrying the football, Newton has led the Panthers in rush yards for three of the five games this season and if Carolina hopes to hang one in the win column on Sunday, he may need to again.