What major storylines are following the Carolina Panthers into their Week 9 game against the Indianapolis Colts at Bank of America Stadium?
For the first time this season, the Carolina Panthers earned a win in their Week 8 matchup against C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans. Now with the Indianapolis Colts coming into town for a rare late afternoon game at Bank of America Stadium, the team will look to pull off another first - put together a win streak.
The Panthers won in Week 8 on the shoulders of the defense and a stellar performance by quarterback Bryce Young. The ground game wasn’t overly effective, but when big moments presented themselves, Chuba Hubbard stepped up.
When we look at this Colts game, it looks like it has the potential to be more of a barnburner - at least, on paper. Let’s look at three major storylines following the Panthers into this Week 9 contest.
Carolina Panthers HC Frank Reich's revenge game
Frank Reich was the head coach for the Indianapolis Colts from 2018 to just over midway through the 2022 season. It didn't end well and he was fired after the team started 3-5-1.
Despite facing his former employer, Reich insisted that he had no interest in making this game personal. And that’s the right thing to say publicly.
Reich on Sunday's game against the Colts - "I don't want to make this a personal thing; it's not."
— Sheena Quick (@Sheena_Marie3) November 1, 2023
It's entirely possible he doesn’t want it to be personal, but it inherently is. Like how there was no verbal confirmation that last week’s battle between Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud added any fuel to that fire - this game against the Colts provides an opportunity for a win that could be just a bit sweeter than the others.
The Carolina Panthers rallied around Young and offensive coordinator Thomas Brown in his debut as play-caller to reel in the victory. It shouldn’t surprise anyone to see the team come out of the tunnel and play with just a little extra fire once again.
Can Bryce Young build off his Week 8 performance?
In what was easily his best game as a professional quarterback thus far, Bryce Young threw for 235 passing yards and a touchdown with a 71 percent completion rate while averaging 7.6 yards per attempt. For the second straight week, he didn’t commit a turnover.
Young looked noticeably confident and comfortable executing the offense last week, no coincidence that it aligned with Thomas Brown taking control of the play-calling. He was able to put a nice showing together against a Houston Texans defense that had been solid all season.
This week’s opponent offers an even grander opportunity, in theory, to put some numbers on the board.
Per Statmuse.com, the Indianapolis Colts come into this game with the 29th-ranked defense in total yards allowed, 26th against the pass, and dead last 32nd in points allowed. The one area that they can brag about being middling in is sacks generated - as they are 12th in that category.
That is notable since the Panthers continue to struggle in that department, allowing six last week.
The Colts will also be without rookie cornerback JuJu Brents as he is still recovering from a quad injury. Leading tackler Zaire Franklin is listed as doubtful. The opportunity is there for the taking.
Will Carolina Panthers run defense hold up?
The Achilles heel of this Carolina Panthers' defense all season has been stopping - even quasi-limiting - the opponents' ground game. With Jonathan Taylor and Zack Moss strolling into town, this sets up to be a pivotal area in Week 9.
The Panthers looked improved against the Houston Texans coming out of the bye week, keeping them to a relatively modest total of 110 yards on the ground, allowing 3.7 yards per carry. They boast the 26th-ranked rushing offense in the league, for what it’s worth. The Colts have the ninth-best rushing attack.
Defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero implemented a few changes with personnel following the bye. Perhaps most notable was the uptick in snaps for linebacker Deion Jones over Kamu Grugier-Hill.
This was likely done as a concerted effort to get more veteran presence on the field and slightly more discipline in run fits. There will be adjustments again on Sunday thanks to further injuries.
Justin Houston was placed on injured/reserve and will miss at least the next four games. Third-round rookie D.J. Johnson should see extra playing time - especially with his edge-setting proclivity and size on the outside.
I also look for undrafted rookie Eku Leota to see his usage increase. This young defense will face a tall task against the Colts and Taylor, in particular.