Sir Purr
Well-known member
- Mar 16, 2019
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Third-down defense
The Panthers' third-down defense has been one of the league's worst in 2020, best exemplified by last week's performance against New Orleans. The Saints converted 12-of-14 third downs, controlling the ball and the clock throughout Carolina's 27-24 loss. The 85.7 percent conversion rate was the highest allowed by the Panthers in a single game.
"Rush, coverage, everything included, everybody's got to work together to get off the field because we just can't allow 12-of-14," defensive end Brian Burns said. "That's just unacceptable."
Players will often say the key to winning third down is not allowing chunk yardage on first and second down. There's plenty of truth in that statement since it's more difficult for offenses to convert on third-and-long than third-and-short. But the Saints converted third-and-10, third-and-14, and third-and-8 last week, so just increasing the distance doesn't guarantee success.
Wide receiver Julio Jones didn't play in Carolina's Week 5 victory over Atlanta, which means quarterback Matt Ryan will have another third-down weapon against a young Panthers' secondary. The Panthers need to pressure Ryan, making him uncomfortable in the pocket, so he doesn't have time to find an open receiver.
Run game improvement
Though the Panthers scored on all but two possessions last week, they struggled in the run game against New Orleans.
Running back Mike Davis finished with just 12 yards on seven carries, though he did add five receptions for 24 yards.
Davis had a big game against Atlanta a few weeks ago, totaling a career-high 149 yards from scrimmage in the win. Davis rushed 16 times for 89 yards in that game, adding nine receptions for 60 yards with a touchdown.
According to right tackle Taylor Moton, the formula for getting the run game going again is simple.
"I think it comes down to getting a hat on a hat, going to the right guys, driving guys out of holes, opening lanes for the running back," he said. "That's what the run game ultimately comes down to no matter what level: hat on a hat and execution."
Davis has filled in admirably for running back Christian McCaffrey, who has not been activated to the 53-man roster as of Thursday morning. In five starts, Davis has rushed for 283 yards and two touchdowns and caught 29 passes for 159 yards and two touchdowns.