3 Panthers position groups that must step up at the Dolphins in Week 12

Carolina Panthers DL

The Carolina Panthers rank second in the league in yards allowed through the air. Any successful organization can stand behind that all day.

However, Carolina is No. 24 against the run allowing 1,260 yards through 11 games. Giving up 190 yards on the ground, with seven explosive plays to the 28th ranked rushing team last week is enough to make anybody grimace.

Myles Gaskin isn’t going to knock your socks off with his play, only gaining 433 yards on 123 attempts for an average of 3.5 yards-per-carry for the Miami Dolphins this season. But the defensive line has been porous.

For whatever reason, the Panthers can garner pressure on an opposing quarterback on any given play, but not get any push on an offensive line, and providing wide-open running lanes has been a struggle.

One could blame inexperience with a younger starting line, but that only goes so far in the NFL. This has become a mental aspect the team must clear.

By limiting the run game and keeping Gaskin and Patrick Laird bottled up, the defense will get more three-and-outs and stop the Dolphins’ offense from moving the chains. This will bode well once the fourth quarter arrives and the defense is still fresh.