Archives for September 2019

A Look Ahead: Texans

Prime Cuts with Norris


Panthers

VS

Texans

Game Time: 1:00

Game Time Temperature: 90 degrees 0% chance of rain

The first win of the season! Man, it feels good! Kyle Allen is slinging touchdowns left and right, McCaffrey is still doing McCaffrey things and the defense looked like they’re starting to come together. Brian Burns looks like the stud that Carolina wanted him to be. However, Arizona was a bad team, so fans should temper expectations just a bit. Carolina is visiting Houston, who will be stiffer competition for Allen and co. Here’s a look ahead to Houston:

Houston Texans

Head Coach

Bill O’Brien

Offensive Coordinator 

Tim Kelly

Defensive Coordinator 

Romeo Crennel

Key Acquisitions 

S Tashaun Gipson Jr.

CB Bradley Roby

S Jahleel Addae

RB Carlos Hyde

RB Duke Johnson

WR Kenny Stills

OT Laremy Tunsil

Key Losses

LB Jadeveon Clowney

RB Lamar Miller (IR)

CB Aaron Colvin

Key Draft Picks

OT Tytus Howard

CB Lonnie Johnson Jr.

Houston has a 2-1 record and are atop of the AFC South Division. They haven’t been overly dominating in their wins, but they have a good quarterback and defense, so they’ll be a tough test. Deshaun Watson is having a decent season, despite a less than stellar offensive line. The Texans still hasn’t gotten their running game going, but they’ll still try to establish a run game early this Sunday. The Houston defense ranks 21st in total defense, 23rd against the pass and 15th against the run.

Carolina Panthers

Head Coach

Ron Rivera

Offensive Coordinator

Norv Turner

Defensive Coordinator

Eric Washington

Key Acquisitions

C Matt Paradis

LB Bruce Irvin

CB Javien Elliott

WR Chris Hogan

DT Gerald McCoy

S Tre Boston

Key Losses

LB Thomas Davis

C Ryan Kalil

DE Julius Peppers

Key Draft Picks

DE Brian Burns

OT Greg Little

RB Jordan Scarlett

2019 Team Stats

Things to Watch

Carolina Panthers

Mr. No Panic, Kyle Allen, will get another start this week while Cam takes his time getting healthy. Allen looked really good against the Cardinals last week, as he had 261 yards and 4 touchdowns. If he gets 2 or more touchdowns and 0 interceptions this week against Houston, he will be the only player in the Super Bowl Era to ever have 2+ touchdowns and no interceptions in their first three NFL starts. Not shabby for a guy that had people questioning whether he was a legitimate backup in the league. Houston will be a much bigger test than Arizona, whose defense was ranked 31st prior to the game last week. Allen will have to get the ball out quick with a makeshift offensive line, as Trai Turner has been ruled out. Daryl Williams filled in well last week when Turner left the game. Greg Little was put in at left tackle and played well. Hopefully, this offensive line continues to get better. 

Christian McCaffrey does what he does, week in and week out. Last week, he had 158 yards on the ground and 35 yards receiving, against a bad Arizona defense. Carolina will continue to feed him the ball early and often. Getting CMC going will help the entire offense and take pressure off of Allen, not that Allen feels pressure. 

Allen distributed the ball around pretty evenly last week, as Samuel, Moore and Olsen all had touchdowns. Moore had the best touchdown, as Allen hit him on a crossing route and he took it 52 yards to the house. Look for a lot of shorter routes so that Allen can get the ball to them quick. All three should be looked for often today, and hopefully Turner has a good game plan.

The defense has gotten better each week. Against Arizona, they contained Murray more times than not, had 8 sacks and 2 interceptions. Brian Burns is looking like a star, as he is on his way to claiming the defensive player of the year. His quickness off the edge is almost unstoppable. The defense gets a healthy Bruce Irvin in the lineup for the first time this week, and hopefully it doesn’t take time away from Burns. The defense will have another tough test this week against Deshaun Watson, and they’ll have to keep him from scrambling. Watson is one of the best young quarterbacks in the league, so they’ll also have to account for his weapons. Hopefully Bradberry is up to the task. He’s played like a top 3 corner so far this season. With any luck, Donte Jackson will be healthy enough to start, as he will need to go step for step with speedster, Kenny Stills. Panthers’ pass rush needs a huge day as well.

Houston Texans

Watson is becoming an elite passer and has scrambling abilities that makes him dangerous on any given play. Watson has some weapons at his disposal, as he has one of the best wide outs in the league in DeAndre Hopkins. He also seems to have a good rapport with speedster Kenny Stills. Watson will look to go after whoever plays for Donte Jackson, if he can’t go. 

Carlos Hyde didn’t do well last week, but he had looked decent in the two games prior. Carolina’s run defense improved a bit last week against David Johnson, but they’re still 25th against the run. Texans will look to get Hyde, and maybe Duke Johnson, going early. 

DeAndre Hopkins is one of the best receivers in the game. He has a test ahead of him, as he is going against James Bradberry. Hopkins may switch sides to exploit a matchup if Jackson is out. (It has been announced that Jackson is OUT) Kenny Stills will be a tough matchup for anyone. 

Houston defense will have their hands full against McCaffrey, Samuel, Moore and Olsen. The key to their success hinges on their ability to rush the passer. Kyle Allen could see a lot of pressure today, as JJ Watt and Co. will be after him all day. Carolina’s offensive line has a tough test ahead of them. 

Keys to a Carolina Victory

• Run, run and run some more. No matter if it’s CMC, Bonnafon or Scarlett.

• Protect Kyle Allen. The line needs to give Allen time to find his target. 

• Allen needs to continue his quick decision making and find the open receivers. 

• Moore and company need to get separation.

• Contain Watson. 

• Bradberry needs to contain Hopkins. Bradberry needs to continue his elite play this week. 

Key Matchups

Christian McCaffrey VS Texans defense

DJ Moore/Curtis Samuel VS Johnathan Joseph/Bradley Roby

DeAndre Hopkins VS James Bradberry

Greg Olsen VS Whitney Mercilus

Injury Report

Carolina Panthers

Houston Texans

Houston comes into this game about as healthy as you can get. Their starters seem to be ready to go. Carolina isn’t as lucky. The Panthers have four starters out this week, two on offense and two on defense. Houston will try and take advantage of Jackson being out, as he is the only player capable of keeping up with Kenny Stills. 

Prediction

This will be a tough test for both teams, but especially for Kyle Allen. Houston’s defense is faster and stronger than he’s use to. However, Carolina has too many weapons for them to cover. The Panthers will win again, on the road, 27-24

A Look Ahead: Cardinals

Uncategorized

It’s only week three, but the season has been a letdown, to say the least. Fans had huge expectations for Carolina coming into this season, and the Panthers haven’t delivered. People are so miserable with the Panthers’ play, that they’ve turned on each other and started blaming Newton’s fashion as the reason they are losing. There are a lot of issues with the team, but Cam Newton’s attire isn’t one of them. Either way, on to week three and Carolina is playing the Arizona Cardinals in Arizona.

Arizona Cardinals

Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator

Kliff Kingsbury

Defensive Coordinator

Vance Joseph

Key Acquisitions

LB Terrell Suggs

WR Michael Crabtree

LB Jordan Hicks

G JR Sweezy

Key Losses

S Tre Boston

DE Marcus Golden

LB Josh Bynes

CB Patrick Peterson (Suspended for the first six games)

Key Draft Picks

QB Kyler Murray

CB Byron Murphy

DE Zach Allen

The Cardinals are searching for their first win of the season, as they have lost one game and tied another. Arizona didn’t have a ton of roster upgrades in the offseason, even though they only won three games in 2018. They did, however, have a solid draft. Quarterback, Kyler Murray, seems to have a ton of talent, and it looks to be translating fairly well at the next level. Corner, Byron Murphy, was one of the top defensive backs in the draft, and the Cardinals got him in the second round. Receiver, Andy Isabella and defensive end, Zach Allen, round out the last four rounds of a very good draft class. Murray, who has looked really good at times, is a mobile guy who can extend the play and make the throws needed. The Cardinals have the weapons around Murray to help his development. Larry Fitzgerald is playing like he’s a 25 year old pro bowl player. The Cardinals also have an electric running back in David Johnson, who is a solid between-the-tackles runner. He’s also heavily involved in the passing game. The Cardinals’ defense has been less than stellar, as they are 31st in total defense.

Carolina Panthers

Head Coach

Ron Rivera

Offensive Coordinator

Norv Turner

Defensive Coordinator

Eric Washington

Key Acquisitions

C Matt Paradis

LB Bruce Irvin

CB Javien Elliott

WR Chris Hogan

DT Gerald McCoy

S Tre Boston

Key Losses

LB Thomas Davis

C Ryan Kalil

DE Julius Peppers

Key Draft Picks

DE Brian Burns

OT Greg Little

RB Jordan Scarlett

What a disappointment. So much talent and nothing to show for it. Good news is, it has only been two weeks. There is plenty of time to get things rolling and win some games. Even though Carolina lost their first two games, they’re still only one game out of first place in the division. The Panthers need to come together to win this Sunday’s game and start a winning streak, like they did in 2013, where they started 0-2 and finished 12-4. With Cam nursing a nagging foot injury, it appears that Kyle Allen will get the start. McCaffrey will be heavily utilized again this week, and hopefully they finally use Jordan Scarlett a little, too. Allen will lean on veteran, Greg Olsen, who had a very good game last week. The defense needs to cover Larry Fitzgerald and Christian Kirk, while also containing David Johnson and keeping tabs on Murray. This will be a tough test for this Carolina defense.

2019 Team Stats

Panthers
Cardinals
18th– 695 yds
Total Offense
12th– 736 yds
18th– 529 yds
Passing Offense
8th– 604 yds
24th– 166 yds
Rushing Offense
27th– 132 yds
16th– 20.5 ppg
Scoring Offense
14th– 22.0 ppg
12th– 638 yds
Total Defense
31st– 917 yds
2nd– 372 yds
Passing Defense
26th– 619 yds
24th– 266 yds
Rushing Defense
27th– 298 yds
23rd– 25.0 ppg
Points Allowed
22nd-25.0 ppg

Things to Watch

Carolina Panthers

This week’s starting quarterback, Kyle Allen, will lean heavily on McCaffrey in the running game, as well as, the passing game. Allen has good arm strength, and showed good decision making skills in the Saints game last year. While it was against mostly backups, Allen seemed to be able to make accurate throws, even under pressure. Coach Rivera has mentioned that one of Allen’s best features is making throws while under duress, and says he has been impressed with Allen’s work ethic. Don’t be surprised if Allen makes some deep throws when the defense (and Carolina’s offensive line) permits. In regards to Carolina’s offensive line, they need to protect Allen. Especially on the left side. Last week, Daryl Williams allowed 3 sacks on Newton and looked to be lost at times. Hopefully the lackluster play by Williams and Paradis is just a case of two guys working themselves back from lower body injuries, and they’ll improve as time passes. If Williams struggles this week, it would be a good idea to play Greg Little, who should be good to go. For a more in-depth anali

Christian McCaffrey is always ready to play, no matter the opponent. He didn’t have a great game against Tampa, but he should have a bounce back week. He will be relied upon in both facets of the game and will share “security blanket” duties with tight end, Greg Olsen, for Kyle Allen. Look for Carolina to use Jordan Scarlett and Reggie Bonnafon some this week, since they will likely be pounding the ball on the ground.

When Allen does pass the ball, Greg Olsen will be targeted quite a bit. DJ Moore and Curtis Samuel will likely get a few looks also. Moore has 16 catches for 165 yards, and will look to build on a solid start to the season. Samuel, who was training camp MVP, started slow but had a good game last week.

The defense has been relatively good this year, especially against the pass, and will look to get better against a rookie quarterback. They’ll have to keep tabs on Kyler Murray, since he is a mobile guy who always keeps his eyes downfield. Arizona has playmakers that can do a lot with the ball in their hands. One of those players is Damiere Byrd, who Panther fans are familiar with. Hopefully the defense will have Kawann Short, who has been on the injury report this week with a shoulder issue. The defense will have to contain David Johnson in the running game and also the passing game. This will be a tough task, but Carolina has the personnel to do it. Carolina’s run defense has been pretty shaky this season, so if they want to win, they’re going to have to clean that up. For a more in depth defensive analysis from Kevin, click here.

Arizona Cardinals

So far this season, Kyler Murray has 657 yards, 2 touchdowns, 1 interception and a QBR of 81.7. Not too shabby for a rookie quarterback who was considered too short to play the position. If Murray wants to get his first win, he’s going to need to limit his mistakes and feed the ball to David Johnson on the ground. Carolina’s defense has been good against the pass, but bad against the run.

David Johnson didn’t have a good game last week, but he could have a bounce back game against Carolina’s porous run defense. In the first two games, Johnson has amassed 96 yards rushing and 2 touchdowns. He also has 7 catches for 55 yards and 1 touchdown. Hopefully Ron Rivera has a plan to contain Johnson.

Future Hall of Famer, Larry Fitzgerald, has been great so far this year, as he has 13 catches for 217 yards and a touchdown. Christian Kirk is also having a solid season so far, as he has 10 catches for 146 yards. Rookie quarterback, Kyler Murray, has used his receivers well and seems to have a good rapport with all of his weapons. Carolina has been good against the pass, so it’ll be interesting to see how these guys fair.

The Cardinals defense has been pretty bad so far this season. They’ll luck out by facing Kyle Allen and a less than stellar offensive line. Although, a healthy Kyle Allen will likely be better than having an injured Cam Newton on the field. The Arizona pass rush needs to pressure Allen and contain McCaffrey in order to win this game. That’s going to be a tough task for this mediocre defense. 

Keys to a Carolina Victory

• Run, run and run some more. No matter if it’s CMC or Scarlett. 

• Protect Kyle Allen. The line needs to give Allen three seconds to find his target. 

• Moore and company need to get separation. 

• Contain Kyler Murray. There’s no doubt that Murray is a threat outside of the pocket, so Carolina will have to keep tabs on him, as well as, Larry Fitzgerald, Christian Kirk, Damiere Byrd and David Johnson. That’s going to be a tough task, but the Panthers have the players capable of doing so. 

• Keep David Johnson from breaking off any long runs. Johnson is one of the best running backs in the league, when you account for his pass catching abilities. He’s a patient runner who waits for the play to develop. Carolina needs to contain him as much as they can. 

Key Matchups

Christian McCaffrey VS Cardinals defensive line

DJ Moore/Curtis Samuel VS Byron Murphy

Larry Fitzgerald VS James Bradberry

Greg Olsen VS Terrell Suggs/Haason Reddick

Injury Report

Carolina Panthers

Cam Newton OUT 

Rashaan Gaulden OUT

Bruce Irvin OUT 

Greg Olsen QUESTIONABLE (Expected to play) 

Kawann Short QUESTIONABLE

Arizona Cardinals

Jonathan Bullard OUT

Arizona comes into this game relatively healthy, with everyone other than Bullard. Carolina still hasn’t seen Bruce Irvin on the field, which isn’t good, considering they were really relying on him to give them extra pass rush. With Irvin out, yet again, Brian Burns will get more opportunities. Burns has been very good when on the field. He only has one sack but he’s been excellent getting pressure on opposing quarterbacks. 

Prediction

Each week, I’ve predicted a Carolina win. I almost feel as if I’ve jinxed the Panthers, but Carolina has the talent to beat Arizona. Carolina will run with ease and keep the ball out of Murray’s hands. The Panthers will finally find their run defense and hold Johnson to less than 80 yards. Kyle Allen will be ready and throw for a solid 225 and a touchdown. Carolina takes the away game, 27-24. Hopefully, Carolina listens to me. Allen, don’t let us down! I’m starting you in FanDuel! Keep Pounding! 

Knowledge with Kevin: Week 3 Arizona Cardinals (Part 2)

Knowledge with Kevin

Panthers defense vs. Cardinals offense: 

The biggest threat to expose the defense will be the match-up of the personnel groupings and alignments that Panthers head coach Ron Rivera uses and calls against the high tempo/no huddle “Air Raid” passing attack using 10 and 00 personnel by Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury. The term Air Raid basically means an all out pass heavy attack from all angles. 10 personnel means 1 RB 0 TE 4 WR and 00 personnel means 0 RB 0 TE 5 WR. During the Rivera era our pass defense has largely been the nickel zone heavy sub-package 4-2-5 which is 4 DL 2 LB 5 DB. The 5 DBs are typically 2 outside CBs 1 nickel CB and 2 safeties which match-up perfectly against 11 personnel of 1 RB 1 TE 3 WR. The Cardinals offense leads the NFL in no huddle usage at 54% of their plays. The chess match will be how the Panthers game plan to defend the 4th and 5th WR of the Cardinals during a face pace.

4MR Solution: 

  1. The Panthers defensive front must quickly disrupt the Cardinals offensive line blocking schemes with a combination of stunts and slants that allows quick penetration. Their starting five combined for a 59.7 overall grade this preseason. So whether the Panthers use a “30 front” or a “40 front” the interior defensive linemen must dominate early and often to disrupt the rhythm of rookie QB Kyler Murray.
  2. The Panthers secondary playing more press man-to-man coverage at the line of scrimmage on the Cardinals receivers is a high risk yet high reward approach. This “Air Raid” philosophy is largely timing routes where the ball is thrown before the receiver makes his cut to catch the ball. The WR group consists of future Hall of Famer Larry Fitzgerald in his 16th season, former Panther Damiere Byrd, Christian Kirk, Keesean Johnson, Michael Crabtree and Andy Isabella. The ability to throw these players off their routes by just a couple of seconds can lead to multiple sacks and turnover opportunities. Also the defensive front getting their hands up on those quick 3 step drops to batter down passes will be a key part to slowing this offense down.
  3. The Panthers using more of their “Dime” sub-package of six DBs would allow us to have a CB on those 4th and 5th WRs on the field. As talented as the Panthers LB core is there should not be any situation where they are lining up in the slot to cover.  This season we have seen more of the “30 front” dime package of 3 DL 2 LB and 6 DB. However it would not surprise me to see some “40 front” dime looks with 4 DL 1 LB and 6 DB. The current NFL pattern of various spread offenses is growing and it is important for Rivera to adapt defensively by using more DBs to counter with rather than relying on his LBs.
  4. Speaking of LBs it will be the jobs of Luke Kuechly and Shaq Thompson to contain and tackle effectively QB Murray and RB David Johnson in the running game. Both are capable of making huge gains on the ground when given the chance. The defensive front must maintain run gap discipline and run fit responsibilities at all times.
  5. A veteran loaded defense lead by Rivera must control the tempo and the line of scrimmage against a rookie head coach and a rookie QB playing in their 3rd NFL game. The film shows plenty of opportunity for multiple sacks and numerous turnovers. With a 10 day rest this Panthers defense should be licking their chops to get at this offense. 

Knowledge with Kevin: Week 3 Arizona Cardinals (Part 1)

Knowledge with Kevin

Panthers offense vs. Cardinals defense:
The biggest threat to disrupt the offense’s production will be the match-up of EDGE defenders Chandler Jones and Terrell Suggs vs. TACKLES Daryl Williams and Taylor Moton. Since 2015 Chandler has had 12.5, 11.0, 17.0 and 13.0 sacks with 90 QB hits. Suggs during his last four seasons played has had 12.0, 8.0, 11.0 and 7.0 sacks with 71 QB hits. They are capable of causing major headaches.
4 MR Solution: 
  1. Better consistent fundamental play by Williams and Moton themselves is the first part. Also having help from TEs and/or RB chip blocks on every passing play to slow down and neutralize outside QB pressures. Also a huge redemption performance by C Matt Paradis is equally as vital for success. Expect the Cardinals to try to exploit both A gaps around him with DT stunts and LB blitzes. 
  2. The Cardinals defense ranks 31st in total yards per game with 458.5 and gives up the 4th most rushing yards per game with 149.0. All Pro CB Patrick Peterson is out due to suspension. So there will be plenty of opportunities for WRs Moore, Samuel and Wright to have multiple big plays receptions.
  3. Detroit Lions rookie TE TJ Hockenson (6 catches 131 yards 1 TD) and Baltimore Ravens 2nd year TE Mark Andrews (8 catches 112 yards 1 TD) made huge plays repeatedly facing the Cardinals LBs. If the Panthers feature TEs Greg Olsen, Ian Thomas and Chris Manhertz in the passing game they can take turns having big impact plays. 
  4. Tampa Bay did a large amount of what is called “Green Dog Blitzing”. A green dog blitz is a defensive technique where a defender rushes the quarterback after his man coverage assignment stays in to pass block. A linebacker or safety assigned to a running back or tight end in man coverage will often green dog blitz when he recognizes that offensive player blocking another pass rusher. This helps the defense get pressure on the quarterback even if the offense protects with six or more blockers, by adding a late rusher that the blocking scheme often cannot account for. This was the main way they limited RB Christian McCaffrey. The best way to counter this is to have either FB Alex Armah or RB Jordan Scarlett lined up in the backfield as well so that they can stay in to block which frees him to run routes.
  5. If the Cardinals “copycat” Tampa Bay’s defensive game plan of stacking the line of scrimmage with defenders to stop McCaffrey and leaving our WRs in one on one coverage then expect our passing game to put up big plays and results. This will then allow the reemergence of the Panthers vaunted run game.
 
 
 
 

A Look Ahead: Bucs

Game Breakdowns, Prime Cuts with Norris

Panthers

VS

Bucs

Game time: 8:20
Game time temperature: 84

Week one didn’t go as planned, but that’s in the past. Some fans have their hands poised on the panic button, but please relax. It’s week two and Carolina has a fairly favorable schedule for the next two weeks, as they play Tampa Bay in week two and Arizona in week three. Here’s a look ahead to the Buccaneers:

Tampa Bay Bucs

Head Coach

Bruce Arians

Offensive Coordinator 

Byron Leftwich

Defensive Coordinator 

Todd Bowles

Key Acquisitions 

DT Ndamukong Suh

LB Shaq Barrett

S Darian Stewart

Key Losses

WR Desean Jackson

DT Gerald McCoy

DE Vinny Curry

Key Draft Picks

LB Devin White

The Bucs didn’t have a whole lot of major turnaround this offseason, which is surprising considering they went 5-11 in 2018. On offense, they traded their deep threat, Desean Jackson, so they aren’t as explosive. The Bucs defense was near the bottom of the league last year in every category, and seems to have only gotten worse. Jameis Winston threw three interceptions in week one, and also fumbled twice. He looks to improve his play in week two against Carolina. Bucs’ running back Ronald Jones finally looked like the player they thought he’d be, as he gained 75 yards on 13 carries (5.8 AVG YPC).

Carolina Panthers

Head Coach

Ron Rivera

Offensive Coordinator

Norv Turner

Defensive Coordinator

Eric Washington

Key Acquisitions

C Matt Paradis

LB Bruce Irvin

CB Javien Elliott

WR Chris Hogan

DT Gerald McCoy

S Tre Boston

Key Losses

LB Thomas Davis

C Ryan Kalil

DE Julius Peppers

Key Draft Picks

DE Brian Burns

OT Greg Little

RB Jordan Scarlett

Although Carolina didn’t start fast and win week one, there was a lot to like about their performance. There was also a lot to work on. Cam was a little more limited in the running game than fans hoped, due to the coaches wanting to make sure his foot is healed completely. Cam’s throws looked sharp and accurate at the beginning of the game, but it got worse as it went on. He completed 80% of passes 1-10, 70% of passes 11-20, 60% of passes 21-30 and 50% on his last eight passes. This is the product of shoulder surgery and not getting a lot of reps in the preseason. However, it’s still something to watch moving forward. The Carolina defense looked promising at times, too. They will only get better. The emergence of James Bradberry and Shaq Thompson was nice to see.

2018 Team Stat Rankings

Bucs

Panthers
3rd- 6,648 yds
Total Offense
10th- 5,972 yds
1st- 5,125 yds
Passing Offense
16th- 3,836 yds
29th- 1,523 yds
Rushing Offense
4th- 2,136 yds
12th- 24.8 ppg
Scoring Offense
15th- 23.5 ppg
27th- 6,134 yds
Total Defense
15th- 5,651 yds
26th- 4,151 yds
Passing Defense
18th- 3,847 yds
24th- 1,983 yds
Rushing Defense
12th- 1,804 yds
31st- 29.0 ppg
Points Allowed
19th- 23.9 ppg

 

2019 Team Rankings

Bucs

Panthers
25th- 295 yds
Total Offense
22nd- 343 yds
26th- 174 yds
Passing Offense
22nd- 216 yds
13th- 121 yds
Rushing Offense
9th- 127 yds
24th- 17.0 ppg
Scoring Offense
16th- 27.0 ppg
6th- 256 yds
Total Defense
15th- 349 yds
3rd- 158 yds
Passing Defense
9th- 183 yds
14th- 98 yds
Rushing Defense
28th- 166 yds
26th- 31.0 ppg
Points Allowed
24th- 30.0 ppg

Against the Rams, Cam looked sharp at times, but as the game went on, his arm appeared to become more fatigued. This will get better with more reps. He should play well against Tampa. McCaffrey picked up where he left off in 2018 and had 128 rushing yards and 81 yards receiving. Carolina needs to pound the ball early and often to wear out Tampa’s defense.

Jameis Winston needs to protect the ball if he wants to pull off the upset. Winston has talent and potential, so he will be the focus for the Carolina defense. Ronald Jones and Peyton Barber will be heavily used on Thursday. Receiver, Mike Evans, had an off day in week one, he will look to improve.

Things to Watch

Carolina

In 2018, Cam had the second best completion percentage when using playaction. Carolina didn’t use it too much against the Rams, but they should use it more often. The offensive line protected Cam fairly well on Sunday, and they should only get better. Look for Cam to throw a couple of downfield passes to shut the critics up. The shorter passes were game-planned against the Rams so that Aaron Donald didn’t have time to get to him. Newton will likely run more too, since his foot injury is getting fully healed. The Bucs defense ranked 3rd against the pass, as they allowed only 158 yards through the air. Granted, they played the San Francisco 49ers. Newton should dominate, if all goes according to plan. Against LA, they only converted five of eleven on third down, so if Carolina wants to win, they’ll have to do better. In Cam’s career against Tampa, he has a quarterback rating of 92.8. He’s also scored 29 touchdowns against the Bucs, which is his lost against any opponent.

Christian McCaffrey will build on his week one performance. He will likely get 18-23 carries and will continue to be utilized in the passing game. Hopefully, Carolina will have a commanding lead, and fans get to see Jordan Scarlett in real action. The Bucs allowed 98 yards on the ground in week one, which was ranked 14th in the league. The Carolina running backs should have a pretty good day.

DJ Moore had a good day against the Rams Sunday, except for the fumble. While the fumbles are concerning, let’s not forget another dynamic wide receiver who fumbled a lot in his first two seasons. Steve Smith fumbled eighteen times in his first two seasons, as a receiver and returner. Not saying that Moore is the next Smitty, but people need to stop panicking about the fumbles. Carolina has a lot of speed at receiver, so they will look to punish Tampa’s secondary. Having Greg Olsen healthy again is a plus too. With Tampa’s lack of pass rush and iffy secondary, Carolina should flourish in the passing game.

Carolina’s defense wasn’t able to contain the ground game on Sunday, which is something that will need to be corrected this week. It will help that Carolina faces Peyton Barber and Ronald Jones. The Panthers did a sufficient job keeping Goff at bay. The Carolina defense will look to feast on Bucs’ quarterback, Jameis Winston, who threw three interceptions last week. If Carolina wants to win this game, they need to pressure Winston more than they did Goff. With Irvin out, look for Brian Burns to get even more playing time.

Tampa Bay 

Last season, the Bucs had a good offense mainly due to quarterback, Ryan Fitzpatrick, and deep threat, Desean Jackson. Winston played 11 games last season, and threw 19 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. Winston started his 2019 campaign off bad, and will look to improve this week against Carolina. Carolina’s defense is ninth against the pass so far this season, but their pass rush was not as dominating as they had hoped. If Carolina can’t get to Winston, he will be more effective.

Ronald Jones had one of his best games last week, and will look to keep it going against Carolina. Last week, Todd Gurley had a pretty good day on the ground, as he had 14 carries for 97 yards. Bucs coach, Bruce Arians, will look to capitalize on the Panthers’ bad rush defense. Hopefully, Carolina will get better against the run this week.

Last week, Mike Evans was contained by San Francisco, and he would like to get more involved this week. Carolina corner, James Bradberry, usually shuts Evans down or limits him in every game. Last week, Chris Godwin, was Winston’s number one target. Godwin is a player to watch in this matchup, so look for Donte Jackson to cover Godwin quite a bit.

Tampa’s defense only had five total pressures against the 49ers, and will look to get to Newton more. Tampa’s secondary looked lost at times last week, but they do have some playmakers. Devin White and Lavonte David are talented, speedy linebackers who are capable of making plays against the pass and rush. It’s going to be a hard, uphill battle for this defense, and they just don’t appear up for the job.

Keys to a Carolina Victory

Run the ball early and often.

Pressure Winston.

Secure the ball.

Key Matchups

McCaffrey VS Bucs’ defensive line

Olsen/Thomas VS Bucs’ linebackers

Samuel/Moore VS Bucs’ secondary

Carolina’s pass rush VS Winston

Ronald Jones VS Carolina defense

Injury Report

Carolina

Bruce Irvin OUT (Hamstring)

Rashaan Gaulden QUESTIONABLE (Groin)

Greg Olsen QUESTIONABLE (Back)

Tampa Bay

Blaine Gabbert OUT

The Bucs come into this game relatively healthy, as they only have the backup quarterback out this week. The Panthers are still without newly signed linebacker, Bruce Irvin, as he is still dealing with a hamstring injury. Gaulden and Olsen are both questionable, but Olsen said he’s playing. With Irvin out, look for Brian Burns and Marquis Haynes to get extended work. If Olsen can’t go, Ian Thomas will get a lot of work.

Prediction

Even though Tampa beat Carolina in their last meeting, don’t expect it to happen this week. Carolina’s pass rush will get to Winston consistently and pressure him into 2-3 turnovers. The Panthers run defense will tighten up and only allow 75 total yards against the Bucs. The Carolina offense will have success and take this game at home on Thursday night football, 28-13.

 

 

Hot Takes With Monty: Week 1 Summary vs. Los Angeles Rams

Hot Takes with Monty

First before we get into this thing , let’s all give a huge round of applause and welcome back our beloved and favorite game … We all know, Football😍👋🏽. The wait is finally over. 
 
Now, we’re back at it. Week 1 of “Hot Takes w/ Monty” #4MR style. So let’s jump right into it.
 
1. CAM NEWTON 
 
– So for point #1, it’s only right that we start with #1. There is no sugar coating it. There is no way around it. Cam Newton had a sub par game, to say the least. We cant let the 65.7% passing fool us. Cam Newton couldn’t consistently deliver an accurate ball down field, and it further showed as the game went on. At times he looked to be flustered in the pocket and struggled to trust his protection, and he just never seemed to get in any kind of rhythm. The offense ultimately struggled b/c of it. With several misses to a wide open Olsen late in the 4th, with him completely overthrowing Samuel down the sideline late in the game as well … #1 put together a very disappointing performance in Week 1 against the defending NFC Champs, the LA Rams.
 
2. CMC 
 
– You can call him Run CMC, Duece Duece, White Lightning, whatever.  No matter what it is, just make sure you put BEST RB IN FOOTBALL at the end of it. If ever there were a game where one player totally carried his team to near success …THIS was it for Christian McCaffrey and the Carolina Panthers. With 19 carries for 128 yards on the ground along with 10 catches for 81 yards receiving and 2 Rushing TDs, Christian McCaffrey was easily the best offensive player on both teams. It’s just too bad his amazing performance couldn’t translate over to a win for the Panthers. In a game where there wasn’t much to be excited about concerning the offense, McCaffrey sure did deliver. With performances like these, CMC will surely be looking to cash in on a HUGE deal and extension hopefully from the Panthers this coming offseason. 
 
3. DEFENSIVE STRUGGLES/ JAMES BRADBERRY & SHAQ THOMPSON
 
– I’m truly having mixed feelings about our defensive unit as a whole today, especially after re-watching part of the game and calming down a bit. 
On one hand, we held Jared Goff, (a Pro Bowl QB) to 186 yards passing, 58.9% completion, and for majority of the game kept one of the best offenses in football to 20 points. But on the other hand, as the game went on, the defense got very sloppy. From mental mistakes that led to silly/costly penalties, to HORRIBLE tacking late in the game, matched with absolutely no pass rush in the 2nd half. For a defense that is supposed to be the best unit we have had since 2015 (on paper), we sure didn’t look like it at times.
– Now, all of that being said James Bradberry and Shaq Thompson are HERE ladies & gentleman. Both guys played lights out. From Shaq being a consistent big hitter and run stuffer, to JB coming down from coverage to get a sack on the QB. And we all love Bradberry being aggressive and coming down with a beautiful INT. Our defense flashed it’s dominace at times, as well as it felt a little like 2018 all over again. We need more out of this front 7 if we are serious about making the playoffs this year. 
 
4. DJ Moore, Turnovers and O-Line woes
 
– I know what everyone is gonna say. And I also know we all need someone to place blame on for today’s loss. Let me be the first to say …DJ had a rough game. And his fumbling problem is becoming a very frustrating issue that needs fixing asap. All being said, I still like what we have in both DJ and Curt Sam. We just didn’t see much of them. For the record, turnovers lost us this game. And we all will remember DJ’s fumble, but for the most part, DJ had a decent game. 7 catches for 76 yards on 10 targets isn’t a bad game. Cam just couldn’t consistently get our skill players the ball at times. On top of having a few miscommunications up front from the o-line that resulted in sacks on the QB. It was all around a very sloppy game from the offense. 
Sloppy game all around. 
 
– All and all …I still believe we have a very talented team. But we have a lot of work to do. 
Next stop, bring it on Tampa
#KeepPounding Carolina 
 
Offensive Game Ball: Christian McCaffrey
Defensive Game Ball(s): James Bradberry/Shaq Thompson