4 pivotal matchups that will decide Panthers’ game at Giants in Week 7
By Noah Bryce
Blitz-heavy defense vs. Carolina Panthers’ reluctance to max protect
Joe Brady has certainly lost his luster quickly in year two as the Carolina Panthers’ offense has become stagnant and predictable while also being entirely incapable of giving Sam Darnold any time.
Something has to give.
That will more than likely not happen in Week 7 as the New York Giants are one of the most blitz-happy teams in the league this season and that’s not going to change. Why should it?
The fact that with all of the struggles the Panthers have had keeping Darnold upright the team has barely considered keeping an extra blocker either on the line or in the backfield is mind-boggling.
It’s not a guarantee that it will negate a sack. But it will at least slow down oncoming defenders and that little bit of time might be the difference between an interception and a completion.
With an extra rusher coming at a much higher clip in Week 7, the Panthers won’t have the luxury of an empty backfield and should not even consider leaving Darnold back there unassisted except for on the occasional screen.
Brady will have to show for the first time this season that he is capable of formulating an effective game plan and adjusting when it starts to lag behind and the other team figures it out.
Quick passes, screens, end-arounds. Do something creative that will get the defense on its toes and use that aggressiveness against them.
Having Darnold straight drop on every play will not work. He is not the type of quarterback that can create on the run consistently without making mistakes.
It’s high time the Panthers’ coaching staff sees this team for what it is and starts trying to mitigate against its obvious weakness or they will once again suffer some severe complications.