5 potential Commanders' weaknesses the Carolina Panthers must exploit in Week 7
By Dean Jones
The Carolina Panthers need to find inspiration from somewhere. Flashes of quality in moments are not enough to build sustainable success in the NFL. Head coach Dave Canales is finding that out first-hand as he navigates a turbulent start to his time in the role.
Sitting at 1-5 through the opening six games wasn't what he had in mind. Canales' enthusiasm and hope for this franchise had the fans dreaming of better days ahead. However, it's been the same old story in terms of on-field results, which disintegrated any faith quickly.
Things don't get much easier this weekend for Canales. The Panthers travel to the Washington Commanders, who've begun the campaign extremely well and seem further ahead than anyone expected in Year 1 of their comprehensive rebuild under the new regime.
What looked like a winnable game before the season is anything but now, but there are some holes to take advantage of if planned correctly. With this in mind, here are five Commanders' weaknesses the Panthers can exploit in Week 7.
Commanders weaknesses the Carolina Panthers can exploit in Week 7
Carolina Panthers can bait Andrew Wylie into mistakes
One of the biggest reasons behind Washington's impressive turnaround is the offensive line. This unit received a makeover throughout the offseason and it's reaping immediate rewards. Having a mobile quarterback helps, but this unit looks more accomplished than anything Ron Rivera put together during his four years at the helm.
There aren't many holes in this group, especially considering how well Cornelius Lucas and rookie third-rounder Brandon Coleman are sharing responsibilities at left tackle. If there was one area for Carolina's indifferent defensive front seven to focus on, it's right tackle Andrew Wylie.
The two-time Super Bowl winner is performing much better this season. However, he is prone to twitchiness pre-snap and hesitancy on an island when pressure mounts. Whether the Panthers have enough edge threat to cause the former Eastern Michigan standout complications is debatable, but this seems like the best way to make first-year sensation Jayden Daniels uncomfortable.