4 big threats the Panthers must take seriously in Week 4 vs. Cardinals

Carolina Panthers must limit J.J. Watt

J.J. Watt was once the best defensive player in the league. But due to injuries and age, his production has declined in recent seasons.

However, Watt is more than capable of making a huge impact. The defensive end already has two sacks on the year and is hungry to provide that there is plenty of life in the old dog yet.

The Carolina Panthers offensive line must be prepared for Watt. This means James Campen has to come up with a good plan and get plenty of help for whoever is tasked with blocking the future Pro Football Hall of Famer.

Watt’s bull rush remains exceptional and could cause Baker Mayfield some serious complications if afforded enough space, especially on 3rd down. Therefore, the use of chips and sliding the protection his way will pay dividends.

The former first-round selection is not the force of old. Far from it, actually.

But he is still a factor that the Panthers should not underestimate in the slightest.

Carolina has a great shot to get the passing game going against a struggling bottom-of-the-barrel secondary. If they can limit Watt’s ability to get into the backfield, then this increases exponentially.