Maybe the Carolina Panthers need to purify themselves in the waters of Lake Norman to get rid of the stench of losing.
After falling to the visiting Minnesota Vikings 21-13 on Sunday, the stench from the 0-4 Panthers is starting to emanate from the bottom of the NFC South.
Diving into this glitzy enclave may get them re-acclimated with the feeling of winning again. On the other hand, purification for this team might be found in the dirt and film room of the practice facility.
Whatever the case, Carolina needs a reset and they need it now while the season is still young. Here are some observations from the Panthers’ disappointing Week 4 loss.
Information Overload
Different quarters. Same Play. Three receivers are grouped on the right. Bryce Young drops back to pass unaware of the collapsing pocket. He goes through his reads and hesitates on a decision. Sack.
Young also committed a delay of game penalty. The root of this issue is a possible information overload. It seems as if Young has so many options he’s considering when he drops back for a pass. That’s a problem because if that’s the case, it means that his plays and progressions should be simplified. Young should be getting rid of the ball within two seconds or less. He should have a few reads at a time. I understand that Young is poised more often than not. However, he is still a rookie and these are rookie mistakes that need to be fixed now before they become habitual.
Bend But Not Break Defense
Carolina’s defense had one of those games where they had key stops, but missed opportunities almost simultaneously The defense managed to hold the Vikings’ passing game to 139 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. On the other hand, those two touchdowns came at the worst possible time.
In addition to giving up those two touchdowns, the defense looked vulnerable to the rush and to the pass in different pockets of the game.
Granted, the defense oftentimes picks up the slack for the offense and they hold it down. However, they will have to be consistent in order for this team to win.
Hubbard’s Impact
Carolina’s running game, despite the attempts, never got going. They accumulated only 83 yards on the ground, but it was interesting that Chuba Hubbard had a better impact on the game than Miles Sanders did. Hubbard hustled for his yards and was more impactful as a receiving back. It’s worth observing in later weeks how Panthers head coach Frank Reich plans to implement Chuba more in the offense.
