3 essential changes the Panthers coaching staff should make in Week 4
By Preston Seyl
What essential changes should the Carolina Panthers coaching staff make for their Week 4 encounter against the Arizona Cardinals?
The Carolina Panthers are looking to build on their first win of the campaign with two home clashes against the Arizona Cardinals and San Fransisco 49ers. Both teams are struggling with injuries, so the opportunity for Matt Rhule’s men to generate positive momentum is evident.
Arizona, in particular, has not reached expectations as yet, especially on the defensive side of the football. Baker Mayfield has to step up his play with an excellent chance to do so against a team that is extremely suspect within their secondary.
The Panthers’ defense has risen to the challenge after the lackluster performance against the Cleveland Browns in Week 1. They cleaned the run game up and stopped two of the premier running backs in the NFL – Saquon Barkley and Alvin Kamara – over the last fortnight.
Phil Snow and the rest of the defensive coaching staff have done a remarkable job through three games. The offense has yet to get any type of rhythm through the air, Christian McCaffrey is elite and so far has been the only means of production in Ben McAdoo’s system.
Without further ado, here are three essential changes Carolina’s coaching staff will make versus the Cardinals in Week 4.
Change No. 1
Carolina Panthers must get D.J Moore and Christian McCaffrey involved
The recent struggles on offense can come down to not involving your best players in the passing game. A safety valve like Christian McCaffrey could give Baker Mayfield some confidence to start pushing the ball downfield later in the contest, with the quarterback looking jittery in the pocket more often than not this season.
Ben McAdoo and Matt Rhule need to find a way to get McCaffrey and D.J. Moore involved frequently. The Maryland product is a top-10 receiver and the Carolina Panthers have to start giving him opportunities after a distinct lack of targets to date.
Mayfield is a much better player than he has displayed so far. He’s still learning the offense and just needs to calm down instead of trying for the home run on every play.