4 keys to victory for the Carolina Panthers vs. Washington in Week 11

Carolina Panthers must be a run-first offense

This Carolina Panthers team is what it is. They are built around the run and even more so around Christian McCaffrey. So why try and change that?

With the “wait and see” approach that the Washington Football Team defense likes to use, it is a prime opportunity for McCaffrey and the rest of a stacked running back room to really make a difference and change the course of the game.

Carolina needs to do this if they want to give Cam Newton and his receivers any room to work down the field.

For the most part, the linebackers and secondary will be playing further back than most in this game. That opens up a pretty good lane for a wiry back like McCaffrey and a heck of a runway for Chuba Hubbard’s aggressive style.

That is the last thing a defender wants to greet five yards down the field.

So with that in mind, if the Panthers can get a couple of explosive runs going it will force the defense to take a few steps forward to try and lock that down. When that happens, call a hard play action and someone is bound to have space in between the linebackers and corners.

What this also does is empty the field a bit. Less traffic means fewer opportunities for a turnover if a throw is slightly off target and limited chances of a receiver being thrown into a big hit.

With less help on the back end and what little help is there having their eyes in the backfield, it will also free up players like D.J. Moore or Robby Anderson to make one cut and get wide open behind the defense.

Sometimes your best player is nothing more than a decoy, but that can work wonders for an offense. If McCaffrey and others can set the tone early, this defense will be guessing on every play and that means they are bound to come up with the wrong answer eventually.