Panthers burning questions for Sunday against Buccaneers

Can the run defense continue to succeed?

Can the Panthers run defense continue to perform well? That is another burning question that will be key on Sunday. After performing well against a tough Seattle running attack led by running back Chris Carson, the Panthers should look to build off that momentum.

The last time these two teams met, Carolina stifled the rushing attack of Tampa Bay. Peyton Barber was held to 31 yards on 11 carries. For all the math wizards out there, that breaks down to 2.8 yards per carry. Second in line for Tampa Bay that game was quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick. He rushed the ball five times for 23 yards and averaged 4.6 yards per carry. Carson fared a bit better against the Panthers last week. He carried the rock 16 times for 55 yards and a touchdown, averaging 3.4 yards per carry. The touchdown was not ideal of course but given Carson’s ability to explode as a runner, those are statistics I can certainly live with. The Seahawks rushed the ball 28 times for 75 yards, averaging 2.8 yards per carry.

The Carolina Panthers run defense has been solid for the majority of the season. They currently rank No. 6 in the National Football League in rushing yards allowed. They have given up  1,060 on the season and 96.4 yards per contest. The Panthers need to be able to continue to stop the run in this game. If they can force the Buccaneers to become one-dimensional, that certainly increases the former’s chance at a victory. Forcing Winston to make throws is a risk that I will take. Last week, I will give him credit, it worked out well for him. With a Panthers defense hungry for a win, that may not be the case for Winston this week.