5 X factors that could prove crucial for Panthers at the Cowboys
By Luke Gray
How the Carolina Panthers deal with Dallas’s stellar offense
We all know the Carolina Panthers’ defense has been immense so far this season, 14 sacks through 3 games highlight the pressure Phil Snow’s dominant unit has been getting on opposition quarterbacks.
It could be suggested Dak Prescott is the first-star quarterback this Panthers defense has faced in 2021 so far.
In Week 1 we had rookie Zach Wilson who has seriously struggled on a frankly awful New York Jets team. The Panthers faced Jameis Winston in Week 2, who despite flashing is still a turnover machine. And finally, Carolina had another first-year player in Davis Mills at the Houston Texans.
Prescott is a different animal, despite suffering a horrific ankle injury in Week 5 last season,
The signal-caller has picked up where he left off, through three games Prescott finds himself in the top-10 for passing yards this season with 878, one place below Panthers quarterback Sam Darnold who has 888 yards, and six scores with just two picks.
Dallas also has a plethora of talent in the skill positions – the running back pair of Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard as well as the wide receiver pairing of Amari Cooper and CeeDee Lamb. With the Panthers coming into this with a slightly new look secondary following injuries to Juston Burris and Jaycee Horn, this group will be tested.
However, as the Philadelphia Eagles showed in parts on Monday night you can get at this Dallas offensive line, even though All-Pro guard Zack Martin is possibly the most talented lineman Derrick Brown will have faced in his short career.
One weak spot is Tyler Biadasz, who’s currently ranked the 27th center out of 33 gradable players.
He was at fault for a Philadelphia defensive touchdown on Monday when Prescott found Javon Hargrave in his lap and was stripped for the score. The pairing of Brown and DaQuan Jones will be licking their lips at facing one of statistically the worst centers in the league.