Carolina Panthers: The defense will be on their toes against Cardinals

The Carolina Panthers defense will be in for a challenge on Sunday.

It’s no secret that the Carolina Panthers defense is going to have its hands full with Kyler Murray and Arizona Cardinals coming to town. Murray and the Cardinals run a high-octane offense, and it should give the Carolina Panthers a challenge.

One of the things that I am certainly looking for is how they will defend Murray. He has the ability to both scramble and make throws out of the pocket. Murray does a nice job of keeping plays alive, and it allows him to see the play better as he is not exactly a tall quarterback. We saw a little bit of that on display in the season-opening tie against the Detroit Lions. Murray is not afraid to do whatever he can to make a play work.

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Having Larry Fitzgerald and Christian Kirk as your two anchors at the wide receiver position also helps. Fitzgerald is the steadfast veteran, a player who has been putting together productive seasons for years. Kirk is the youngster who has explosive playmaking ability and is on his way to having a bright future in the National Football League. Although those two are a juxtaposition, they both have the same ability to burn defenses at will.

This is going to be something that gives the Carolina Panthers defense a challenge. Over the first two games of the season, they have allowed 25 points per contest. Carolina cannot afford to let Murray and company sit back in the pocket and go to work. They have to generate a consistent pass rush. Also of note is the fact that the cornerbacks have to be able to stay in front of the receivers at all times. If they don’t, it could make for a long afternoon.

Defensive coordinator Eric Washington seems to recognize the challenge that is in front of him. In what has been a grueling two games, the Carolina Panthers need their defense to play well if they want to get back on the right track. Siting at the bottom of the NFC South, they cannot afford to slip any further down the proverbial totem pole.

"“We have to prepare for four wides, three wides, five wides every single week,” Washington said. “We’ll address it with the things within our package and just making sure we have the right personnel in place and just come up with a good solid plan for that particular look.“They use it a lot, and it’s a typical spread concept. Spread you out, get certain people, you have to address all of the different formations and receivers and still be solid if they decide to run the football, and the quarterback is a featured runner. Very similar to what we’ve seen with Russell Wilson over the years, similar concepts, so we’ll have a good plan.”"

This secondary better be ready. Unlike the first two opponents, the Cardinals can beat you in many ways. This will undoubtedly keep the defense on their toes. It will be a nice test to see where the Carolina Panthers stand defensively against this type of offense. The secondary should definitely be in line to see a ton of action come their way. The competition is certainly going to get stiffer down the road. Although the Cardinals are by no means a powerhouse, they are an up-and-coming team.

This is a must-winn game for Carolina. They need to be able to show that they can go on the road and execute their game plan the right way. With Cam Newton still doubtful for Sunday, this game is already tough enough. The explosive offense of Arizona is just another added wrinkle.

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