4 biggest disappointments from Panthers loss at the Ravens in Week 11
By Dean Jones
Carolina Panthers’ rushing attack
Interim head coach Steve Wilks has made a concerted effort to establish the run since replacing Matt Rhule at the helm. Something that’s brought the Carolina Panthers plenty of success in a relatively short space of time.
Considering that conditions weren’t that favorable for the passing attack in Baltimore on Sunday, it was important for the Panthers to get things going on the ground and put Baker Mayfield in manageable situations. Sadly, it didn’t materialize.
The Ravens boasted the NFL’s No. 3 defense in terms of rushing yards per game heading into the contest. Their front seven set the tone early, getting to the point of contact in rapid fashion and making their tackles felt almost at will.
D’Onta Foreman was almost non-existent and Chuba Hubbard couldn’t make an impression when called upon. This left the Panthers with just 36 rushing yards from 17 carries, which was never going to get the job done no matter how well Carolina’s defense was playing.
Next weekend’s game against the Denver Broncos should be an opportunity to put things right. Foreman will be chomping at the bit to keep up his strong form on home soil, but it’ll be a situation to monitor after a dismal outing in the face of such a top-tier run defense.
Again, this might be a blip. But this was arguably the first time Carolina’s really missed Christian McCaffrey since he was traded to the San Francisco 49ers.