What are some critical factors that will go some way to deciding the outcome of a pivotal week 3 divisional matchup for the Carolina Panthers?
The Carolina Panthers are already entering must-win territory despite it only being Week 3 of the season. Matt Rhule’s men are looking to win a first home game in more than a year against the New Orleans Saints, which would be a full-circle scenario after hammering their NFC South rivals 26-7 in 2021.
Carolina’s triumph a season ago was built on solid offense and a lights-out defensive unit that made Jameis Winston’s afternoon a torrid one. The quarterback was sacked four times, picked off twice, and threw for just 111 passing yards as the Panthers saw the player who was so turnover prone during his time with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The pressure is firmly on Rhule after an 0-2 start. Certainly from the fanbase who are growing tired of cheering losing football.
During media availability on Wednesday, we saw Panthers players going to bat for their coach. Robbie Anderson defended Rhule, stating that he was “playing this game for him” and again called out fans who booed at games previously
Considering that supporters spend hundreds of dollars on tickets for the game and have walked away happy just 10 times in the Rhule era, they have every right to voice their displeasure. If Anderson doesn’t want fans booing, losing 10 straight games will do no favors this weekend.
The pressure is on and the atmosphere could get ugly if things don’t improve. With this in mind, here are five critical factors that will decide Sunday’s game at Bank of America Stadium.
Carolina Panthers must disrupt Jameis Winston
A lot of this game hinges on the play of the Carolina Panthers’ defense if they want to emerge victorious. Defensive Coordinator Phil Snow must scheme up a game plan that puts Jameis Winston under duress early and often.
Winston was limited in practice on Wednesday for the New Orleans Saints but will likely suit up. It was reported that the Florida State product played the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with four fractured vertebrae in his back.
Since being drafted No. 1 overall back in 2015, Winston’s play has followed a continuous pattern. Stellar play littered with an abundance of turnovers including his infamous 30-for-30 campaign in 2019.
We even saw shades of that in 2021. During the Saints’ season opener against the Green Bay Packers, Winston threw for five touchdowns and zero turnovers in a blowout 38-3 win but was humbled against the Panthers a few short days later.
Winston doesn’t do well under pressure. Therefore, Snow would be wise to send a lot of blitzes and be more creative in pursuit of getting to the signal-caller.
A lot has been made of the fact the Panthers are currently the only NFL team without a turnover so far this season. But if Winston’s taught us anything, he’ll always provide a turnover opportunity.
The Panthers must find ways of getting after the quarterback. This means Brian Burns should not have 15 of his snaps in coverage as he did in Week 2.
Carolina Panthers must play complementary football
It’s about time the Carolina Panthers find a balance and learn to play good football on both sides of the ball at the same time. We’ve seen throughout the opening two games of the season that when one unit is firing on all cylinders the other has gone ice cold.
A prime example of this occurred on Sunday at MetLife Stadium. After being practically dormant through two quarters, Baker Mayfield finally put together a drive as he led the Panthers 67 yards for a score. And to start the game, the Panthers’ defense was lights out holding the Giants to just six points following back-to-back fumbles.
But as soon as Mayfield put the Panthers 13-6 ahead the defense lost all momentum, allowing Daniel Jones to drive down the field at will. This ended with a crucial touchdown to rookie tight end David Bellinger.
Funnily enough, this drive coincided with Phil Snow’s decision to start dropping Brian Burns into coverage.
The Panthers’ offense and defense must start to play in harmony. Carolina’s offensive unit needs to start sustaining drives to give the defense time on the sideline, and when the defense is on the field it’s vital they get stops when the offense begins to click.
Looking ahead to Sunday’s encounter with the New Orleans Saints, their clear strength lies on defense. So there may be more pressure on Snow’s unit to generate takeaways and score points.
Carolina Panthers must get D.J. Moore involved
Fans lamented the lack of touches for star running back Christian McCaffrey in Week 1. A few short days later and another primary playmaker’s usage was under the microscope.
Through two weeks of the season, D.J. Moore finds himself with six catches on 12 targets for 86 receiving yards and one touchdown. For someone with his skill and talent, these statistics should be much improved.
We saw against the New York Giants how Moore can influence proceedings. He was targeted on back-to-back plays after the break as the Carolina Panthers drove down the field, but after that, the Maryland product was not targeted for the remainder of the game.
When Baker Mayfield was brought over in a trade, fans were excited to see what Moore could do with a higher level of quarterback play. While it’s not time to push the panic button yet, the Panthers must find a way to get the ball in the former first-round pick’s hands as much as possible.
This also comes down to the scheme. When one sees how the Minnesota Vikings and Los Angeles Rams conjure things up for the likes of Justin Jefferson and Cooper Kupp despite their increased attention, the Panthers must find ways to do this with their best pass-catcher.
Moore finds himself matched up with Marshon Lattimore in Week 3, one of the top five highest-paid cornerbacks in the league. A significant challenge that’s worth monitoring closely.
Carolina Panthers’ offense must start fast
What we’ve seen through the first two weeks of the season is a Carolina Panthers offensive unit struggling to find any form of fluidity, especially at the quarterback position. Whether or not this is a byproduct of the lack of playing time together through the preseason is yet to be determined, but it must turn around quickly.
The offense has been stagnant to start games. In the first half of the two games to begin the season, the Panthers have scored just 13 total points, which demonstrates how this group is underperforming under Ben McAdoo.
Barring the three-play touchdown drive and a 49-yard chunk run from Christian McCaffrey at the New York Giants, the offense offered little throughout.
Things don’t get any easier this weekend against a New Orleans Saints team filled with playmakers. It’ll be another test for Carolina’s offensive line going up against the likes of Cameron Jordan and Marcus Davenport, with the likes of Demario Davis and Tyrann Mathieu capable of leaving their mark, too.
One thing the Panthers must do is get other wide receivers in the game. They’ve exclusively played D.J. Moore, Robbie Anderson, and Shi Smith over the first two contests, so expect to see Terrace Marshall Jr. Rashard Higgins, and perhaps even Laviska Shenault Jr. in this one.
Carolina Panthers must keep the Saints’ skill players quiet
When the Carolina Panthers beat down the New Orleans Saints in the corresponding fixture a year ago, they had a lack of offensive weapons compared to what Matt Rhule’s men will see on Sunday. Running back Alvin Kamara was held in check in 2021, but the receiving room was one not filled with high-quality NFL talent as the No. 1 that day was Lil’Jordan Humphrey who is currently on the New England Patriots practice squad.
Fast forward 12 months and the Saints’ wideout options are unrecognizable. The prolific Michael Thomas is healthy again – which sets up a tantalizing matchup with Jaycee Horn – and the Saints also acquired Jarvis Landry and Chris Olave via free agency and the 2022 NFL Draft earlier this spring.
This wide receiving core will be much improved from the unit that the Panthers dominated a year ago. Simply put, it will be a much sterner test and one that will go a long way to determining the overall outcome.
Horn rebounded from a disappointing season opener with an impressive performance in Week 2, but this will be the toughest test of his short NFL career to date. Despite struggling with injuries in recent times, Thomas is still an elite performer who was the NFL’s Offensive Player of the Year in 2019.
With quarterback Jameis Winston nursing ankle and back complications, New Orleans might lean on Kamara providing he is healthy enough to participate. The Panthers can take heart from shutting him down last season, but they’ll need another similar performance to keep the former Tennessee star quiet.