4 keys to victory for the Carolina Panthers at Dolphins in Week 12
By Noah Bryce
5-6. 87. FOX. Sunday, Nov 28. 59. Panthers -1.5. 4-7. 1 PM ET
The Carolina Panthers have a must-win game against the Miami Dolphins in Week 12 if the team wants to keep any hope at the playoffs alive.
Well, that storybook return to Bank of America Stadium didn’t quite end the way that Carolina Panthers fans wanted it to.
Things started well for the Panthers with a near-perfect opening drive by the offense that ended in a touchdown pass on a quick decision by Cam Newton. A designed run was called, but the quarterback noticed D.J. Moore had separation in the end-zone and decided to throw it to him instead.
Then the Washington Football Team got the ball and things began to go downhill for the Panthers.
Between blown coverages and wide-open running lanes, Washington torched the defense on a regular basis. If not for a poorly timed fumble they would have put the game away a lot sooner.
Playing from behind, or even in a closely fought contest is no easy task. It was one that proved to be too much for Newton as the former MVP only had 10 days to learn an entire system.
But the real reason behind this loss was the defense. It just looked bad and outplayed for the entire game. Something this team, or the fanbase for that matter, is not used to.
The defense has always been the strength, the one thing keeping the team afloat, and it let everyone down on Sunday. That cannot happen at the Miami Dolphins in Week 11.
While the Dolphins have been a bit of a laughing stock all season, they have righted the ship in recent weeks and are beginning to look like the team many expected them to be. Especially on the defensive side of things with Tua Tagovailoa doing just enough to keep the team in the game on offense.
Yes, beating the New York Jets is not exactly prize-worthy. But the Dolphins still looked really good during large portions of that game, and once a team starts doing well it’s hard to shut them down.
The Panthers are in a close race for a wild card in the NFC and this is a game that they have to win to keep pace. What will be key to that much-needed victory?