4 crucial matchups the Carolina Panthers must win at Dolphins in Week 12
By Noah Bryce
Carolina Panthers run defense vs. Dolphins rushing attack
This matchup is less about what the Miami Dolphins can do and more about what the Carolina Panthers cannot.
At the start of the season, the Panthers were the stoutest of the stout against the run. It was as if opposing teams were running through quicksand into a brick wall.
But then, inexplicably, things completely changed.
The team could no longer get penetration up the middle and defenders were stuck on blocks so hard that one could assume they were glued to them. This is evidenced by the staggering fact that the team gave up 190 yards on the ground in Week 11 and at least 160 yards in their six losses on the year.
That is not winning football.
While the Dolphins may not exactly be known for their rushing attack. Any team looking at those stats would relish the opportunity to run the Panthers into the ground. It’s proven to be effective and a large reason for that is the struggles of Jermaine Carter up the middle.
The first-year starter at middle linebacker has consistently shown an inability to shed blocks or even take good angles. It is quite depressing to see as there was a lot of potential for a breakout season.
Another large factor is a complete lack of gap discipline. I get it, players want to get into the backfield in any way that they can, but leaving running lanes behind is a huge problem.
This is something that I have been writing about for the last handful of weeks, but it’s just that important. Time of possession wins games and whether or not offensive coordinators will admit it or not the run game is the most important factor in that.
Passing may be the way of the future, but if you can’t stop the run you will lose all the same.