Vince Holmes

4 Man Rush Game Predictions: Week 1 – The Rhule Era

Vince's Vindications

A new era begins Sunday afternoon in Charlotte NC and there will be new faces all over Bank of America Stadium. With all the uncertainty and unfamiliarity surrounding the 2020 season, predicting the outcome seems almost impossible. However, I believe not having a preseason works in the Panthers favor on Sunday. The unorthodox off-season offers them an advantage over the visiting Las Vegas Raiders.

NO PRESEASON
Raiders head coach Jon Gruden has been around the NFL for decades now and he’s more than likely seen everything the league has to offer. However, COVID-19 leaves Gruden and his staff in a bind with little to no film of the Panthers and their new look schemes. Gruden has mentioned he’s opted to watch college film of both Matt Rhule and new offensive coordinator Joe Brady in order to be ready for this Sunday’s game. I don’t think it will be enough though due to Carolina jumping out to an early lead and able to hold off a late rally by Las Vegas.

Panthers 23  Raiders 20.

KEY MATCH-UPS
The Raiders boast a very good interior line of center Rodney Hudson, and guards Gabe Jackson and Richie Incognito. A newly revamped defensive front 7 for the Panthers will have their hands full getting to Derrick Carr and stopping running back Josh Jacobs. This is the biggest key to victory, limiting big plays in the pass game and stopping the running game in Week 1.

PLAYERS TO WATCH 
Rookie first round pick Derrick Brown will be key in trying to stop the Raiders run game. Carolina invested the 7th overall pick on Brown hoping he would put an end to the run game woes that plagued the Panthers in 2019. He will have veteran Pro Bowl DT Kawann Short returning from a Week 2 season ending shoulder injury from last season to help shore up the interior of the defense.

Raiders Tight End Darren Waller isn’t a house hold name. However, he’s one of the best players at his position in the league. Waller can line up all over the field causing match up problems for opposing defenses. The Panthers LB corps will look a little different without former All Pro Luke Kuechly in the middle, so limiting the effectiveness of Waller will be paramount in slowing down an explosive offense.

Post-Training Camp Thoughts: Preaching Patience

Vince's Vindications

A new era is among us with uncertainty, confusion and even anger from some fans not happy with the perceived direction of the franchise. It’s important to remember the Panthers haven’t won a playoff game since that glorious night of the NFC championship game of the 2015 season. A breathe of fresh air was needed for a franchise stuck in neutral. I must admit I was skeptical and pessimistic about some of the decisions my favorite franchise made over the past 8 months.

Allow me to explain my new found optimism and why reports and news out of training camp has me on board with direction of the 2020 Carolina Panthers and beyond…….

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  1. Offensive Weapons
    An explosive group of young weapons and arguably the best collection of skill players ever assembled here in Charlotte has me optimistic that the offense will be able to score with anyone in the league. Joe Brady has the best running back in football, an emerging star at receiver and one of the best deep threats in all of the league. I expect Brady’s influence and genius to pay dividends on all the talent at his disposal.
  2. Youth
    Studying Phil Snow’s defense in preparation to his arrival in Charlotte, I wrote down the two words to explain his defenses which is “Fast and Violent”. After going all defense in the 2020 draft, along with the departure of beloved veterans the Panthers have one of the youngest defenses in all of football. While that youth may show early on, I except steady improvement from a unit that won’t have much experience, but they will fly around and hit you in the mouth.
  3. New Four Man Rush
    Young talent along the defensive line was much needed on this team. Long gone are the days of Charles Johnson, Greg Hardy, Mario Addison, Jared Allen etc. A youth movement among the defense is here. Most importantly, along the defensive line, Panthers were able to grab my #2 overall edge defender from this years’ class in the 2nd round. Pairing Yetur Gross-Matos with first round pick Derrick Brown, the Panthers have a good young core to surround around 2019 1st round pick Brian Burns and seven year veteran Pro Bowler Kawann Short. Assuming this group continues to get better on a weekly basis, I fully expect this defensive front to be among the league’s best for years to come.Golf Bg Image