4 things that must change for the Panthers in 2020

4. Carolina Panthers third-down conversions

Moving the chains is an essential part of winning in the NFL. This is another thing the Carolina Panthers struggled to do in 2019.

Their third-down conversion percentage was just 31.88 percent, which ranked No. 29 league-wide. They managed to secure first downs on 66 of 207 attempts and this element of their offense is something that needs to be worked on prominently during training camp.

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Improving on this particular statistic becomes even more prominent when one considers the need for the Panthers to take the pressure off their young defense. Thankfully for the Carolina Panthers, they possess a more composed quarterback heading into the campaign in Teddy Bridgewater.

The former first-round pick was tremendous on third down during his time with the Minnesota Vikings before his leg injury. He has taken some time to get back to prominence. But all signs point to the player returning to the form of old with more time on the field.

He does have some good receiving options over intermediate routes such as Ian Thomas and in particular Curtis Samuel. All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey should ensure than the yard-margin shouldn’t be that daunting on any third down. So the onus will be on Bridgewater and the offensive line to hold up and keep the offense ticking over.

Offensive coordinator Joe Brady also has a big part to play. He will need to come up with plays that can shift momentum in this particular area. And judging by his time at LSU, this is something the new appointment is more than capable of.