4 keys to victory for the Carolina Panthers at Texans in Week 3

Carolina Panthers must make Davis Mills move

The key to bringing any quarterback down to earth is making them uncomfortable, getting them off-platform. That is, for all but a few who seem to be better in those situations. Nevertheless, Davis Mills is not one of those as yet.

Mills was a top recruit coming out of high school but never really lived up to that ranking in college. Consistently struggling with injuries and opportunities.

The main weaknesses in the former Stanford Cardinal’s game are his inaccuracy and immobility. Mills is a gunslinger for better or worse and when he has time in the pocket the big-armed quarterback can launch the ball, but if he is pressured at all he tends to crumble.

Even when Mills has the time, there just isn’t the kind of zip you’d like on the football.

Both the ball and his body seem to be going in slow motion.

This was shown in his limited action against the Cleveland Browns in Week 2. There were multiple plays where Mills either underthrew or threw behind his receivers. One of those leading to an interception in their own red zone.

The other main issue from that game was Mills’ awareness. When a quarterback gets clobbered on the front side without as much as a flinch, there’s an issue. That simply won’t fly against this Carolina Panthers defensive line.

But going to the other extreme is also detrimental, as we saw with Sam Darnold during his time with the New York Jets. Both getting sacked and always running and throwing the ball away are losing situations.

So with an inexperienced and inconsistent signal-caller under center, the Panthers need to take advantage of that and get him on the move early and often. Young quarterbacks make mistakes, but they make even more when forced out of their comfort zone.

The Panthers have one of the best pass rushes in the NFL and if they once again wreak havoc in the backfield, it’ll be a long day for Houston Texans fans.