4 Panthers players that can spearhead shock win at Ravens in Week 11
By Noah Bryce
Keith Taylor Jr. – Carolina Panthers CB
With yet another injury sidelining the frustrating Donte Jackson, it’s next man up once again in the Carolina Panthers secondary. That means increased playing time for Keith Taylor Jr.
Taylor has been a bit of a conundrum as most backups in the NFL seem to be when thrust into full-time action. That is something the Panthers cannot afford on Sunday.
The Baltimore Ravens don’t have the best passing attack in the league. Their receiving core has been decimated by injuries and inconsistency with the only real threat left standing being Mark Andrews or Isaiah Likely, who occupies No. 2 on the tight end depth chart.
NFL players will punish mistakes, no matter who makes them. So even against less-than-stellar competition Taylor will have to be more consistent for the Panthers to keep things close.
One blown coverage like the one that allowed the Atlanta Falcons to pull within a score on Thursday night and it could all be over for the Panthers. Therefore, Taylor must be at the top of his game from start to finish.
Force Lamar Jackson to test the starting corners on this squad, and force the quarterback into making a mistake against Jaycee Horn just like Marcus Mariota did in Week 10. That is how Carolina can pull off the upset and perhaps start a string of games that will shock the entire league.
This all hinges on whether or not Taylor can up his game when his name is called and limit the mental lapses that kept him out of the lineup.