5 pivotal matchups the Panthers must win vs. the Vikings in Week 6
By Noah Bryce
Brady Christensen vs. Everson Griffen
Rookie Brady Christensen finally got the chance to prove that he was ready to start at the NFL level in Week 5 and performed better than most expected.
With an injury to the struggling Cam Erving, the Carolina Panthers confusingly decided it best to move Taylor Moton over to the left side. But that odd decision meant that the call came for Christensen.
While yes, when looked at in a vacuum Christensen’s numbers don’t look the best, that’s not the whole story.
With the already mentioned disaster that was John Miller beside him, Christensen held up masterfully and didn’t have the “oh no” play that you expect from a young lineman. Giving up zero sacks on the day is nothing to sniff at.
However, that wasn’t the cream of the crop that the rookie tackle was facing and that will all change come Sunday if the Panthers decide to make a good decision on the offensive line for once.
After an out of nowhere down year, Everson Griffen has bounced back in a big way since returning to his longtime home with the Minnesota Vikings.
Griffen outmatched rookie tackle Penei Sewel all day against the Detroit Lions, a player most fans wanted the Panthers to pick up and was considered one of the best offensive line prospects ever.
Picking up sacks on back-to-back plays with entirely different tactics, both a bull rush and a finesse move.
That combo of moves is something most linemen struggle with, not to mention rookies, as you have to guess which tactic and direction the defender will go. Choose wrong and you’ll find yourself watching the quarterback go down to the turf before you can even blink.
Now Griffen isn’t the same player but that veteran savvy and bag of tricks still serve him well and it will be a good test to see just how good Christensen can be at the next level.
The BYU product will have to be on his toes all game and stay focused on what is in front of him because getting on the back foot against Griffen won’t end well for anyone involved.