4 ways Panthers QB Baker Mayfield can bounce back in Week 3 vs. Saints
By Dean Jones
How can Carolina Panthers quarterback Baker Mayfield finally get his campaign on track against the New Orleans Saints in Week 3?
After two weeks, it’s not been all that promising from Baker Mayfield’s point of view. A late arrival to the Carolina Panthers coupled with a needless quarterback competition made things more difficult than they needed to be, but the player also acknowledged that his performance levels need to improve sooner rather than later following an 0-2 start.
The pressure has increased exponentially on Mayfield and the Panthers. Head coach Matt Rhule is unsurprisingly a man under fire, although everyone is demonstrating a united front in front of the media ahead of their immensely important divisional matchup against the New Orleans Saints at Bank of America Stadium.
Carolina can take comfort from the fact their losses have been as a result of late field goals. But the urgency is there for all to see given the strength of competition upcoming on the schedule.
With that being said, here are four ways Mayfield can bounce back in Week 3 versus a strong Saints defense.
Way No. 1
Baker Mayfield must improve pre-snap recognition
It’s no secret that Dennis Allen has an impressive defense at his disposal. Something the head coach uses extremely well with multiple fronts and various blitz packages designed to cause endless problems for opposing offenses.
Baker Mayfield can do his chances the world of good by improving his pre-snap recognition against the Saints, communicating efficiently with his offensive line, and being better prepared for whatever challenges are coming on any specific down.
The Carolina Panthers’ protection has improved drastically, especially on the interior. However, the Saints boast a formidable front seven that’s backed up by an elite secondary littered with playmakers.