5 surprising positives from the Panthers victory vs. Saints in Week 3
By Luke Gray
Carolina Panthers iOL holds up again
If you’d said the strength of the Carolina Panthers’ offensive line would be their interior, most fans would have been skeptical. With right tackle Taylor Moton and rookie Ikem Ekwonu as the starting tackle tandem, many expected those two to be the bright spots in the protection.
However, the edge duo has been outshone by the interior trio of Austin Corbett, Brady Christensen, and maybe most surprisingly, Pat Elflein. The Panthers’ guard/center trio has been among the league’s best through three weeks according to Pro Football Focus, grading in the top 10 for their positions.
Elflein – who has been severely criticized for his production since joining the Panthers – is ranked the fourth-best center. A remarkable turnaround and a testament to a strong offseason of recruitment and enhanced coaching from James Campen.
The former Ohio State standout deserves immense credit for the way he’s played. With Bradley Bozeman – who was expected to start for the Panthers – suffering an injury before the campaign, this opened the door for Elflein and he grasped the opportunity with both hands.
Even with Bozeman now fully healthy, the Panthers have no reason to take Elflein out of the lineup and change an interior that has held up well through three weeks. After the inconsistency suffered in this area of the field throughout Matt Rhule’s era, keeping continuity is vital.