After upsetting the Seattle Seahawks in Week 14, Carolina Panthers interim head coach Steve Wilks said that he and his squad “protect the bank” and don’t lose at home. Well, it’s not like Wilks is lying.
Since taking over the team after Week 5, the Panthers under Wilks are 3-0 at Bank Of America Stadium. If Carolina wants to make it 4-0 Sunday against the visiting Pittsburgh Steelers, here are a few keys to the game to make that happen.
Decisive Darnold
In his return to action, Sam Darnold has been, for the most part, solid. His numbers aren’t jumping off the stat sheet by any means, but he isn’t losing the Panthers’ games with a bunch of costly mistakes. It may be preferable for Darnold to operate in a simplified role of doing just enough and not too much, but it wouldn’t hurt for him to be more assertive and more decisive with his decision-making.
Against Seattle, Darnold had an opportunity to score a touchdown through the ground, but decided to pass it instead. Granted he has a newfound patience in the pocket, but sitting there longer than he needs to could result in mistakes and second guesses. When out of the pocket, Darnold must decide to either run and slide (or score in some instances), or pass. Make the reads and decisions and stick with them – regardless.
Test The Secondary
At this point, it is a given that the Panthers will try to establish the run first before looking to pass,s or even lean into the run game altogether. What they have to remember is they will face a Steelers secondary that’s been vulnerable. They are 29th in the league against the pass, giving up 7.2 yards per attempt. With Darnold’s patience in the pocket, in a reasonable amount, he should take advantage of and exploit Pittsburgh’s weaknesses in increments before hunting for the big plays downfield.
Eating At Arby’s
While it’s tempting to attack the secondary more, a huge dose of the run might be just enough for the Panthers to win. Against Seattle in Week 14, Carolina had a balanced rushing attack and in some drives, they featured eight o-linemen for one play. They call the formation ‘Arby’s’. According to Guard Brady Christensen, they named it after the fast food restaurant because of its popular slogan, and for obvious reasons. Eight linemen with size – beef. The formation makes it easier to establish the run, provides extra pocket protection for Darnold, and control the time of possession. If the Panthers have the ‘meat,’ they will eat on the ground and eat their way to another win at the bank.