Christian McCaffrey

Week 3 Predictions vs. Los Angeles Chargers

Vince's Vindications


By: Vince Holmes

A slow start to the Rhule Era of the Carolina Panthers to start the season. Untimely injuries and inconsistent play among other things have contributed to the Panthers 0-2 start for this season. While it hasn’t been all bad for the Panthers, the players have been able to compete enough to be in position to win both games. I predict more of the same for this young and inexperienced team and coaching staff. Here is why I believe the Panthers will fall short yet again despite putting forth a valiant effort.

Injuries

The 2019 NFL OPOY RB Christian McCaffrey has been put on IR for at least the next 3 weeks and facing a stout defense without your best player is always tough. McCaffrey has been the lifeline of the Panthers offense for the last 2 seasons and adjusting to life without McCaffrey will be tough against this stout Chargers defense. Final score prediction is:  Carolina 20 Los Angeles 24.

Key Matchups

RT Taylor Moton vs. the pass rush edge duo of Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram will be key if the Panthers want to win on Sunday. This matchup also is key for Moton off the field as he seeks his first long term deal. Handling Bosa and Ingram would be a good start to him getting a new deal.

Rookie QB Justin Herbert makes his 2nd NFL start against a struggling Panthers secondary. Herbert will be making his 2nd start but this week will be his first, preparing throughout the week as a starter. I expect Herbert to be confident and well prepared to spread the ball around to his weapons on Sunday and build off an impressive start from last week vs. the defending Super Bowl Kansas City Chiefs.

Players To Watch

Rookie RB Joshua Kelly has been impressive early in this season. A struggling Panthers run defense will have it’s hands full slowing him down and his running mate RB Austin Ekeler. Neutralizing both of these players should be priority #1 for Panthers defensive coordinator Phil Snow and company.

RB Mike Davis is getting the start for the Panthers. For the last two seasons the offense has run through McCaffrey. I’m interested to see how Panthers offensive coordinator Joe Brady uses Davis on Sunday and how that impacts the overall offense. If Davis can provide a semblance of a running game while contributing in the passing game, it bolds well for Brady and the offense to put up points on Sunday.

A Look Ahead: Falcons

Game Breakdowns, Prime Cuts with Norris

Panthers
At
Falcons
1:00

Well, that was a bad loss. So bad, that it cost Ron Rivera his job. We would like to thank Coach Rivera for everything he’s contributed to the team and wish him luck in the future. There’s no doubt that he will be a solid head coach elsewhere. Now, let’s look ahead to the falcons:

Atlanta Falcons

Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator 

Dan Quinn

Offensive Coordinator 

Dirk Koetter

Key Acquisitions 

DE Adrian Clayborn

DT Allen Bailey

S Jonathan Cyprien

Key Losses

S Keanu Neal (IR)

S Jonathan Cyprien (IR)

WR Muhammed Sanu (Traded)

CB Justin Bethel

RB Tevin Coleman

RB Ito Smith (IR)

Key Draft Picks

G Chris Lindstrom

OT Kaleb McGary

The Falcons have only won three games this year, but one of those wins came against Carolina. This time around, they’ll have Devonte Freeman back, so they’ll look to run against the Panthers’ porous rush defense.

Carolina Panthers

Head Coach(Interim)

Perry Fewell

Offensive Coordinator

Scott Turner (Norv Turner is Special Assistant to Head Coach)

Defensive Coordinator

Eric Washington

Key Acquisitions

C Matt Paradis

LB Bruce Irvin

CB Javien Elliott

WR Chris Hogan

DT Gerald McCoy

S Tre Boston

K Joey Slye

Key Losses

QB Cam Newton (IR)

DE/DT Kawann Short (IR)

DT/NT Dontari Poe (IR)

LG Greg Van Roten (IR)

K Graham Gano (IR)

LB Thomas Davis

C Ryan Kalil

DE Julius Peppers

Key Draft Picks

DE Brian Burns

OT Greg Little

OT Dennis Daley

It’s been a long, hard road for Carolina this year. With all the injuries and the defensive scheme changes, it’s been too much to bare. It’s not all bad news, though. Of the eight losses that Carolina has, five of those were lost by one touchdown or less. That’s definitely something to build on for next season. Although, this team will probably look a lot different in 2020-21.

Things To Watch

Carolina

Kyle Allen had his ups and downs on Sunday, but couldn’t lead the team to a win with any last second heroics. Allen hasn’t done well this year when playing outdoors, so playing on turf this Sunday should suit Allen’s strengths. Allen will need to go through his progressions faster and get the ball out quicker against Atlanta, if he wants to win this game. New offensive coordinator, Scott Turner, will no doubt have some new wrinkles up his sleeve, as he auditions for the job on a more permanent basis. Hopefully, the protection up front will give Allen a little more time to find the open receiver.

Christian McCaffrey was held in check on Sunday, but that’s mainly because Carolina abandoned the run when started losing. This was only the third game this season in which McCaffrey was held without a touchdown. Atlanta is in the middle of the pack against the run, as they are ranked 16th and allowing 108.6 yards per game. CMC will be used early and often, and he will be used heavily in the passing game as well. Look for a lot of misdirection plays this weekend. Also, with the lack of protection, look for a few screen passes to McCaffrey.

DJ Moore continues to impress fans, as he grows into the number one receiver role. Both him and Samuel had touchdowns on Sunday, showcasing their ability to get separation. (Wright showed he could open too, on the last play of the game) The Panther receivers will get their chance to make plays on Sunday against the 26th ranked pass defense. Scott Turner is calling plays, so there’s no telling what he has up his sleeve. There will likely be a lot of short routes to get the ball out of Allen’s hand faster. With Greg Olsen out, Ian Thomas will have an increased role in the offense on Sunday.

The Panthers’ defense just continues to get gashed on the ground. This is caused by a few things, but it all comes down to missed assignments and lack of gap discipline. Some of it is the offense’s inability to sustain long drives, because the defense is spending the majority of the game on the field. Three and outs hurt the defense. This week, we don’t know who will calling the defensive plays, as Ron Rivera has been calling them since the middle of last year. Interim Head Coach, Perry Fewell, won a Super Bowl with the Giants as their defensive coordinator, so I’m betting he will call the plays. Hard to tell what kind of game he will call, but I think he will have the guys getting in their gaps and playing better. Brian Burns will likely play a lot more this Sunday, and they’ll need him at his best if they want to pressure Ryan.

Atlanta Falcons

Matt Ryan has been pretty solid this year, and burned the Panthers in their last meeting. He will likely be getting his tight end, Austin Hooper, back after being out for the past few weeks. Atlanta is second in the league in passing yards per game, at 295.6 yards per game. With weapons like Julio Jones and Austin Hooper, he could have another big game this Sunday. Don’t sleep on the Carolina pass defense, who has shown the ability to lock down passing games at times.

Devonte Freeman was absent the first time around, but he will be a full go on Sunday. Barring any defensive improvements by Carolina, Freeman could have a big day. Carolina has had trouble all year against misdirection running plays, so Atlanta will try to expose that deficiency.

Julio Jones, Calvin Ridley and Austin Hooper have been really good this year. This trio can be very dangerous when they’re hot. The Atlanta receivers beat Carolina with a lot of deep routes last time, so they’ll look to do that again.

The Falcons defense hasn’t been good the majority of the year, but they’ve gotten better as of late. Their pass rush has woken up and pressured the quarterback a lot lately. That’ll be the key to them winning. If they can pressure Allen, it’ll rattle him and he will make mistakes. Although, Allen has been really good in games played in domes.

Keys to a Carolina Victory

• Run the ball early and often. Get McCaffrey going. He’s a volume runner. Give him the ball. He should be able to do work against this defense.

• Pressure Ryan. If Carolina gets consistent pressure, it could be a long day for Matty Ice.

• Protect the ball. No turnovers!

• Contain Devonte Freeman.

• Maintain gap discipline on defense.

• Utilize McCaffrey heavily one the passing game.

• Win the time of possession battle. The offense needs to sustain long SCORING drives to keep the defense fresh and take the pressure off of them.

• Allen needs to read the defense faster. Allen has been a one read quarterback for most of the season, but he needs to go through his progressions just a little faster.

Key Matchups

• McCaffrey VS Falcons defensive line

• Samuel/Moore VS Falcons secondary

• Bradberry VS Jones

• Carolina’s pass rush VS Ryan

• Freeman VS Carolina’s defensive line

• Carolina offensive line VS Atlanta defensive line

Injury Report

Carolina

Greg Little OUT

Greg Olsen OUT

Atlanta

Ty Sambrailo OUT

James Carpenter OUT

Carolina takes a huge hit with Greg Olsen and Greg Little out this weekend. Dennis Daley and Ian Thomas will be their replacements. Atlanta will be without two offensive linemen, but it shouldn’t affect their passing game much.

Prediction

Atlanta whooped Carolina in their last meeting, but this time the game is in a dome. Kyle Allen thrives indoors, as he’s had 9 touchdowns and no interceptions in those games. Carolina will look like a much different team, as they’ll win 30-24 in Atlanta. Half of Panther Nation will cheer and the other half will be upset at losing draft positioning. Christian McCaffrey will go off and have 230 total yards and 2 touchdowns. The Carolina defense will smother Devonte Freeman and only allow 65 yards rushing. This will be a statement win for Perry Fewell, as he’s interviewing for a coaching position. Keep Pounding, Panther fans!

A Look Ahead: Bucs

Game Breakdowns, Prime Cuts with Norris


Panthers

VS

Buccaneers

Game Time: 9:30 AM

Welcome to the Christian McCaffrey Show. He’s the best running back in the league right now, if not the best overall player. With Allen in at quarterback, the offense runs through McCaffrey. What a performance by CMC, as he had 175 yards rushing, 61 yards receiving and 3 total touchdowns. Kyle Allen struggled with pocket presence and ball security once again, but he helped the team just enough to win. Allen is doing his job as a back up, but it will be a nice change when Newton comes back. Either way, both Allen and Newton need the fans’ support. Now, it’s off to London! Here is a look ahead to the Bucs:

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

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

DT Gerald McCoy

WR DeSean Jackson

DE Vinny Curry

Key Draft Picks

LB Devin White

Tampa comes to London with a record of 2-3, even though they’ve scored more points than anyone in the division. The Bucs have been up and down all year, as has Jameis Winston. One thing that has remained consistent for the Bucs is their run defense. Tampa Bay has only allowed 349 yards on the ground in five games, which is good enough for third in the league. The Bucs are capable of beating the Panthers, which is evident due to this happening in week two. One difference is, an injured Cam Newton was playing quarterback for Carolina. Linebacker, Shaq Barrett, is having a superb season so far, as he has 9 sacks, 3 forced fumbles and 1 interception so far.

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

WR Chris Hogan (IR with designation to return)

DL Kawann Short (IR)

QB Cam Newton (Foot injury)

LB Thomas Davis

C Ryan Kalil

DE Julius Peppers

Key Draft Picks

DE Brian Burns

OT Greg Little

OT Dennis Daley

2019 Team Stats

Panthers

Buccaneers
14th– 370.0 yds/gm
Total Offense
17th– 359.8 yds/gm
23rd– 226.4 yds/gm
Pass Offense
12th– 250.4 yds/gm
4th– 143.6 yds/gm
Rush Offense
19th– 109.4 yds/gm
10th– 25.8 ppg
Scoring Offense
5th– 29.4 ppg
8th– 331.4 yds/gm
Total Defense
26th– 393.4 yds/gm
4th– 197.0 yds/gm
Pass Defense
32nd– 323.6 yds/gm
24th– 134.4 yds/gm
Rush Defense
2nd– 69.8 yds/gm
11th– 21.4 ppg
Points Allowed
29th– 29.6 ppg

Things to Watch

Carolina Panthers

Kyle Allen is doing his job as a backup quarterback, as he isn’t doing anything to lose the games. His fumbling is still an issue, as he had two more last Sunday. He needs to get better pocket presence, but that comes with time. This Sunday, in jolly ole London, Kyle will likely be throwing a lot more. Tampa Bay’s pass defense is ranked dead last, and Carolina would be wise to get Allen going. The offensive line played well last week with Dennis Daley at left tackle, so hopefully they can keep Suh and Barrett at bay and protect Allen.

Christian McCaffrey is having a historic season so far, as he leads the league in all purpose yards and is on pace to smash the record set by Chris Johnson in 2009. Whether or not he can keep it up, is yet to be seen. Look for Carolina to try to get him going early, even though Tampa’s rush defense ranks second in the league, and they only allowed CMC to get 37 yards in their last meeting. Hopefully, he can break a few long runs, as he’s done several times this season, to keep the defense honest. McCaffrey will be used heavily in the passing game due to the Buc’s porous pass defense. Look for Carolina to give Reggie Bonnafon a few carries on the heels of his successful game last week.

DJ Moore is on pace to have 1,100 yards receiving this year, and looks to capitalize on the Buc’s 32nd ranked pass defense. Moore seems to be coming into his own and is showing fans why he was a first round pick. He made a nice leaping catch last week, where he went up and plucked it out of the sky with ease for a 52 yard gain. Curtis Samuel will also get plenty of looks in the Carolina offense this Sunday. He was used in the running game for a couple of plays last week, but was relatively quiet. This was due to Christian McCaffrey’s amazing day. Greg Olsen was held without a catch last week, even though he was open on several plays. He gives Allen a big target in the red zone, and he will be used this Sunday in London.

The Carolina defense had a few hiccups Sunday, as they allowed Gardner Minshew to throw for 375 yards. With Donte Jackson likely returning to the lineup, that will help tremendously in coverage. They will have a huge test again Sunday, as Mike Evans and Chris Godwin will get a lot of looks. This is a revenge game for the team and they’ll be looking to stop Chris Godwin this time around. With Tampa’s right tackle and right guard likely out with injury, Carolina should get good pressure and keep Winston on his back. I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention defensive lineman, Efe Obada, who heads back home to London. Expect to see more of him this Sunday, so he can play in front of his home crowd, which should give him more motivation. #Keep£ing

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Jameis Winston is having a relatively good season, as he has 1,371 yards, 11 touchdowns and 5 interceptions. That’s good enough for a 97.2 QB Rating. That’s a little misleading, considering that in the last 4 games he hasn’t had less than a 103.4. Winston has developed a rapport with wide receiver Chris Godwin, and it has translated to the field. In week two, Winston had 208 yards and a touchdown against Carolina. Carolina has a very different defense than they did in week two. Look for Winston to struggle against Carolina’s pass rush. Especially on the right side, as both his right guard and right tackle are expected to miss the game.

In the week two battle, Peyton Barber has 82 yards rushing and 1 touchdown. Barber will look to have an even more successful day against a Panthers defense that ranks 24th against the run. If Carolina doesn’t get their run defense in check, Barber could have a field day.

Mike Evans and Chris Godwin are one of the best wide receiver tandems in the league right now. Godwin is having an All Pro season, as he has 511 yards and 6 touchdowns in 5 games. He had 121 yards and a touchdown in the Thursday night debacle. Mike Evans is having a decent season, as he has 368 yards and 4 touchdowns. They’ll look to get going against Carolina Sunday, even though it’ll be tougher than it was in their first meeting.

The Buccaneer defense has been excellent against the run all year. In week two, they held Christian McCaffrey to 37 yards rushing. It’s going to be hard to do that the second time, now that CMC is in the zone. Their pass defense isn’t good, as they rank last in the NFL. They’ll look to hold McCaffrey in check and make Kyle Allen beat them with his arm. Shaq Barrett is playing out of his mind this year. Carolina will have their hands full once again Sunday, although their offensive line seems to be getting better each week, no matter who’s playing. Dennis Daley stepped in at left tackle and played well.

Keys to a Carolina Victory

• Scheme ways to get McCaffrey the ball. The offense runs through CMC and he will be needed on Sunday. Get him the ball early and often.

• Protect Kyle Allen. Sixth round pick, Dennis Daley, stepped in and played well at left tackle while Greg Little is injured. Hopefully, Allen can become a little more comfortable and learn to step into the pocket.

• Protect the ball. No matter who it is, hold that ball tight. No fumbles this week.

• Rush the passer. Carolina needs to get pressure on Winston while not letting him get out of the pocket. Winston is dangerous when scrambling.

• Contain Peyton Barber. Carolina needs to learn how to stop the run.

• Get Greg Olsen going against this porous Bucs’ defense.

Key Matchups

• Donte Jackson VS Chris Godwin

• James Bradberry VS Mike Evans

• Panthers’ Defense VS Buc’s banged up Offensive Line

• Christian McCaffrey VS Buc’s Defense

Injury Report

Both teams come into this game with key injuries, but perhaps the worst injuries are to the Buccaneers offensive line. They’re not as prepared for offensive line injuries as the Panthers are (sounds weird for Carolina to have offensive line depth). Carolina gets Donte Jackson back, and it comes at a good time. Hopefully, Shaq Thompson and Eric Reid are ready to go Sunday. All signs point to them playing.

Prediction

Coach Rivera said that he’s keeping the schedule as normal as possible for Friday and Saturday, so the players can have some continuity in their routine. This will prove to be beneficial, as the players will be well rested and ready to go. This will be a tough game for both teams, but Carolina will find success through the air. Carolina wins on the road, yet again, 27-24. Carolina goes into the bye week with a record of 4-2. #Keep£ing

 

CMC for MVP?

Prime Cuts with Norris


There are quite a few people out there that think Panthers’ running back, Christian McCaffrey, deserves to be in the conversation for NFL MVP. On one hand, it’s only week six and it’s a little early for that talk. On the other hand, it is fun to think about. After all, there really aren’t many positive things to think about this season, aside from the defense and McCaffrey. Yes, Kyle Allen is doing decent at quarterback, but everyone knows Cam will be back soon.

Back to the topic at hand. Christian McCaffrey is having a really good start to the season, with the exception of the Tampa Bay game. In five weeks, CMC is leading the league in all-purpose yards by over 120. He is currently on pace for 1,878 yards rushing, 893 yards receiving and 22 total touchdowns. That’s a pretty solid stat line for any running back, but is it MVP worthy?

That’s kind of a loaded question, as there are many variables involved. First, the league usually gives the MVP award to the best quarterback in the league. Right now, the only quarterback playing well enough to earn the MVP award, is Patrick Mahomes. Russell Wilson of Seattle is also starting to heat up. In most cases, when a running back has won the MVP award, the quarterbacks in that same year have struggled. For instance, in 2012 when Adrian Peterson won the MVP award, the top 3 quarterbacks were Matt Stafford, Drew Brees and Tony Romo. Stafford threw 17 interceptions and Brees and Romo both threw 19 interceptions. All three quarterbacks struggled to get wins, too.

Speaking of wins, that’s another thing that the league looks at when deciding who deserves the MVP award. Since 2004, of all the teams who had MVPs, their respective records have been at least 12-4. There have been two exceptions, as Matt Ryan’s Falcons won 11 games and Adrian Peterson’s Vikings won 10 games. Bottom line is, every team in the last 20 years that has the MVP, has made the playoffs. With Carolina sitting at 3-2, it’s hard to tell how their record will fall. It’s still early in the season, but the defense and CMC look like they can keep it going, at least until Cam is able to come back and take some pressure off of McCaffrey.

When Adrian Peterson won the MVP award in 2012, he had over 2,000 yards rushing. In the last 20 years, four running backs have won the MVP award. Of those four, they all had either over 2,000 total yards from scrimmage, or 25+ touchdowns. Given McCaffrey’s current pace, it’s not outside the realm of possibility for McCaffrey to have over 2,500 yards from scrimmage. He could also have over 25 total touchdowns, given he has a penchant for getting multiple touchdown games.

Other MVP award winning running backs:

• 2006 Ladanian Tomlinson – 1,815 rushing yards, 508 receiving yards and 22 total touchdowns

• 2005 Shaun Alexander – 1,880 rushing yards, 78 receiving yards and 28 total touchdowns

• 2000 Marshall Faulk – 1,359 rushing yards, 830 receiving yards and 26 touchdowns

If McCaffrey can keep this train going, he is on pace to surpass these four running backs. As a matter of fact, he’s on pace to surpass Chris Johnson’s record of most yards from scrimmage in a season by 262 yards. In 2009, Johnson had 2,509 yards from scrimmage. If McCaffrey does break the yards from scrimmage record, that could help catapult him ahead of everyone in the MVP race. Oh, and McCaffrey has joined NFL Hall of Fame great, Jim Brown, as the only other player to average 175 yards from scrimmage in four of his first five games. The NFL record for most 175 yard games in a season is six, and McCaffrey has the potential to tie that record in week eight.

Christian McCaffrey is one of the most exciting players in the NFL and he’s really fun to watch. There’s little doubt that he will be in the MVP race for the rest of the year, given the pace at which he plays. As a matter of fact, if voting were done today, he should be the odds all favorite to win. The guy exemplifies hard work on and off the field. If CMC keeps this going, it’ll be a historic season for him and the Panthers. With any luck, Carolina will keep pumping out wins while McCaffrey puts the team on his back. Again, it’s far too early to name the MVP, but McCaffrey has been great through the first five weeks. He’s earned the right to be in the conversation. So until it’s time to vote, enjoy the greatness…..because you could be watching history in the making.

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