Losing comes with a stench.
Losing in the manner that the Carolina Panthers did in Week 8 comes with a stench that only can be washed away with wins. Despite their 2-6 record, interim head coach Steve Wilks believes there’s time to fix what’s ailing the team.
“As I told the guys, ‘It’s a lot of football left,’ ” he said recently. “The opportunity for us to win this division is still there. We’re not going to look ahead. We’re going to stay the course.”
On the course tomorrow is a Week 9 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals. Beating a competitive Bengals team on the road is the only way the Panthers can wash away the stench of last week’s loss to the Falcons. Here are the keys for the Panthers to make that happen.
Attack A Vulnerable Secondary
Cincinnati is struggling with cornerback depth. Chidobe Awuzie suffered a season-ending knee injury against the Browns. Eli Apple and Tre Flowers are dealing with hamstring injuries, which leaves the Bengals with no other choice but to rely on rookies Dax Hill and Cam Taylor-Britt to hold them down. PJ Walker looked confident and comfortable against Atlanta and they too had a vulnerable secondary. Walker should attack the defense with a variation of deep go-routes, posts, and short routes.
Apply Pressure
The Bengals have the second best passing offense by yards in the NFL and the fifth-best rushing offense. The Panthers’ defense has struggled to generate consistent four-man pressure all year. They rely heavily on blitzing for pressure. For this matchup, the Panthers’ defense will have an opportunity to pressure Joe Burrow and the Bengals’ offense without relying on the blitz to do it. Why? Because Cincinnati’s O-Line has been dealing with injuries. LT Jonah Williams has been playing through an injury, RT La’El Collins missed Week 8 due to an illness. The Bengals’ interior O-Line features a rookie at left guard. Linebacker Brian Burns and DT Derrick Brown should have advantages in this matchup. Pressure Burrow, slice through the gaps, and generate hits and sacks. Only blitz when it’s necessary.