5 Carolina Panthers hanging by a thread ahead of Week 6 vs. Vikings
By Dean Jones
John Miller – Carolina Panthers OG
Whether it’s the lingering effects of contracting COVID-19 when unvaccinated or not is up for debate, but John Miller’s level of performance simply hasn’t been up to the required standard.
The veteran is sluggish in all areas of the game and was at fault for many pressures on quarterback Sam Darnold in Week 5. Something that is simply unsustainable if the Carolina Panthers want to become a playoff contender in the team’s immediate future.
Carolina’s defense can be dominant all it likes. But until the quarterback and offensive line figure things out, it’s only going to get them so far.
Miller is at the heart of this. The free-agent signing from the Cincinnati Bengals in 2020 was brought back this offseason to provide continuity, even though this hasn’t quite gone according to plan as yet.
Should Miller get one more chance to prove his worth against the Minnesota Vikings and their formidable defensive front, he must make the most of it.
Otherwise, the calls for Deonte Brown will be deafening.
Just why the Alabama product hasn’t seen any playing time as yet is uncertain. Brown was always going to be a work in progress, but the dismal production of Miller means his development needs to speed up considerably.
Nobody knows for sure whether Brown will be an improvement, especially in pass protection. But one thing is for certain, the rookie couldn’t be much worse at this juncture.