What are some of the keys to victory for the Carolina Panthers when they travel to the Los Angeles Chargers for a crucial Week 3 matchup?
The games are coming thick and fast for the Carolina Panthers, with Week 3 of the 2020 season now upon us.
This is going to be another real test of their credentials at the incredible SoFi Stadium against the Los Angeles Chargers. The Carolina Panthers will need to start well to avoid the same problems that played a role in their demise at the Buccaneers. And if they can do this, then a first win of the campaign is not out of the realms of possibility.
New head coach Matt Rhule has had a fortnight to fully adjust to an NFL environment. His transition from the college system has been a turbulent one, to put it mildly. But progress will need to be shown at the earliest possible opportunity to avoid further doubts creeping into a fanbase that already appears skeptical about their short and long-term ambitions.
The Chargers look to be a postseason contender if their first two outings are any indication. They began the campaign with a hard-fought win over the Cincinnati Bengals and followed this up by taking the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs before falling narrowly short in overtime.
Confidence will be high in Los Angeles, and they will see this as a tremendous opportunity to get back to winning ways.
Carolina shouldn’t be entirely ruled out given the weapons at their disposal despite the absence of Christian McCaffrey. Let’s take a look at four keys to victory for the Panthers on Sunday.
Give Teddy Bridgewater time in the pocket
Teddy Bridgewater went through his fair share of struggles in Week 2 following a promising debut. His three turnovers turned into 17 points for the Buccaneers and this is something that cannot continue if he wants to make the most out of his second big starting opportunity in the NFL.
The signal-caller has been relatively consistent distributing the ball during his career, so we should give Bridgewater the benefit of the doubt. However, if the former first-round pick wants to get back on track at the Chargers then his offensive line needs to stand up against what can only be described as a phenomenal pass-rush.
This is, of course, led by the ferocious tandem of Melvin Ingram and Joey Bosa. They are arguably the NFL’s best duo and it is going to be incredibly difficult to keep them out of the backfield. But Ingram’s status remains in question and it remains to be seen whether the edge rusher will be healthy enough to take his place in the lineup.
The Carolina Panthers will need the experience of Russell Okung fit and ready to go on Sunday. He is officially listed as questionable after missing practice and although the blow will be lessened by Ingram’s potential absence, it is still going to be a significant problem.
There appears little chance of Taylor Moton switching over to the left thanks to the presence of Bosa on the other side. This is going to be a must-watch matchup between the and who gets the upper hand could become a leading influence in their team’s success.
Bridgewater also needs to go through his reads quicker, recognize pressure when it’s coming, and ensure that he identifies defensive formations quickly to minimize the risk of making mistakes.
Generate pressure on Justin Herbert
Justin Herbert really caught the eye on his NFL debut despite coming up against a team that hoisted the Vince Lombardi Trophy last season. He looked assured in the pocket and was not afraid to make the most out of his surprising ability to run the ball.
He will get the start once again this Sunday after Tyrod Taylor remains sidelined after having his lung punctured by a team doctor. But the Carolina Panthers should take Herbert’s threat extremely seriously.
It wasn’t long ago that Herbert was considered as the No. 1 overall pick before returning to Oregon for a senior season that didn’t live up to expectations. Couple this with the emergence of Joe Burrow and Tua Tagovailoa over the last two years and the Chargers might have found themselves a steal at No. 6 overall.
The Panthers should put as much pressure as humanly possible on Herbert, who is only in his second start. However, they have been unable to get into the backfield consistently over the last two games and Carolina is the only team in the NFL that has yet to record a sack.
If the same scenario rears its ugly head at the Chargers, then it will allow Herbert to utilize some outstanding offensive weapons at his disposal. But if the likes of Brian Burns and Stephen Weatherly can get the signal-caller off his spot quickly, it might come with some success.
Get the passing game going early and often
The Carolina Panthers lost the services of star running back Christian McCaffrey, who will miss his first NFL game since entering the league in 2017 with a high ankle sprain that is expected to sideline the All-Pro for anywhere between 4-6 weeks.
This is an absolute disaster for the Panthers, to put it mildly. Not having their face of the franchise is a substantial blow and although Mike Davis did show some promise late on at the Bucs, there are few running backs in the NFL who could replicate what McCaffrey can produce consistently.
McCaffrey’s unavailability heaps more pressure on Carolina’s talented wide receiver group. Offensive coordinator Joe Brady needs to get them involved early and often to keep the Chargers’ defense honest when they would normally be stacking the box to limit the production of No. 22.
D.J. Moore and Robby Anderson will be the focal point, and with good reason. Both have been tremendous during the early stages of the campaign and they could propel themselves to among the NFL’s best tandems if each player continues to produce going forward.
Brady needs to get Curtis Samuel more involved, and Seth Roberts’ lack of involvement is also something that might need to change in McCaffrey’s absence.
How the former LSU passing guru has used Ian Thomas and Chris Manhertz has been head-scratching, especially when one considers just how much success Brady attained with his tight ends during the Tigers’ historic run to a National Championship in 2019.
Finding the right balance is always key in terms of distribution. But with McCaffrey no longer able to be the focal point, it is essential that these weapons in the passing game are given the opportunity to make an impact.
Keeping Keenan Allen’s influence to a minimum
The Carolina Panthers will need to be wary of the threat posed by the exceptional offensive weapons available to the Chargers. They are loaded with playmakers who can make a real difference if given the opportunity and one way the defense can do this is by limiting Keenan Allen‘s production.
Allen is still one of the best in the business and is as good a route runner as you will find anywhere in the league. The wideout has a rare ability to impact the game on the outside or in the slot with equal impact and the Panthers’ suspect secondary needs to try and thwart the player’s threat in any way possible.
This will also be a job for defensive coordinator Phil Snow, who has made some strange decisions over the last fortnight. The experienced college coach deserves credit for making adjustments at the half in their loss at the Bucs. But the damage had already been done and his use of specific schemes played a role in their demise.
The former third-round pick out of California has brought in 11 of 17 targets for 133 receiving yards over the last two games. Allen will be a favorite target of Justin Herbert thanks to his reliability and proven production. So whether this will result in Donte Jackson shadowing him consistently remains to be seen.
It might be more beneficial for Rasul Douglas to assume this responsibility and allow Jackson to go with Mike Williams deeper down the field. But how the Panthers cope with Allen could have significant ramifications either way on the eventual result.