Carolina Panthers: Keys to game against the New England Patriots

Contain New England’s running game

This may sound a little bit weird when it comes the during the Patriots, as much of their offense revolves around quarterback Tom Brady. However, the Carolina Panthers need to contain the running game of New England. New England ran the ball successfully last Saturday against the Tennessee Titans, and they’re in a good position to do it again.

The most interesting thing about their running game is that it’s not being executed by a bunch of veterans. The rookies have been leading the way. In last week’s game against Tennessee, Damien Harris. was the go-to guy. Averaging 5.7 yards per carry,  he made life much easier in the passing game as the Titans were expecting the run in a lot of cases. For their part, New England ran for 123 yards on the evening.

The Carolina Panthers have to make sure they crash the box. Send as many defenders at the running backs as possible. This is a team that will torch you if you sit back on your laurels. The Patriotd have been doing that for years, and the Carolina Panthers need to make sure they execute well. Bringing pressure up the middle will undoubtedly be a huge part of containing the running game. The Panthers give up 100 yards on the ground last week, so they will definitely need to be cognizant of that on Thursday.