Derrick Brown

A Look Ahead: Buccaneers

Game Breakdowns, Prime Cuts with Norris

Panthers 
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Buccaneers 
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Well, that’s not the way fans wanted to start the Matt Rhule Era. There were some things to like about the team (mainly on offense), but there were also some things to work on. The Carolina defense looked lost at times, but you’ll have that when there is so much inexperience. Tampa, who also went through some changes in the offseason, started off with a loss too. It was an odd week one to say the least, as most stadiums didn’t have fans in the stands to help swing momentum. Here’s a look ahead to the Bucs:

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 

Head Coach

Bruce Arians

Offensive Coordinator

Byron Leftwich

Defensive Coordinator

Todd Bowles

Key Acquisitions

QB Tom Brady

RB Leonard Fournette

TE Rob Gronkowski

Key Losses

QB Jameis Winston

RB Peyton Barber

WR Breshad Perriman

Key Draft Picks

OT Tristan Wirf

S Antoine Winfield Jr. 

The Bucs’ offense looks a little different this year. They signed Tom Brady and Leonard Fournette and traded for Rob Gronkowski. Tampa didn’t get off to the best start, but neither did Carolina. The Bucs drafted one of the best offensive tackles in the 2020 draft, and one of the best safeties as well. 

Carolina Panthers

Head Coach

Matt Rhule 

Offensive Coordinator

Joe Brady

Defensive Coordinator

Phil Snow

Key Acquisitions

QB Teddy Bridgewater

WR Robby Anderson

LT Russell Okung

G John Miller

G Michael Schofield

LB Tahir Whitehead

CB Rasul Douglas

S Juston Burris

CB Eli Apple

KR Pharaoh Cooper

Key Losses

QB Cam Newton

DT/NT Dontari Poe 

LG Greg Van Roten 

K Graham Gano 

TE Greg Olsen

LB Luke Kuechly

DT Gerald McCoy

CB James Bradberry 

S Eric Reid

G Trai Turner

Key Draft Picks

DT Derrick Brown

DE Yatur Gross-Matos 

S/LB/N Jeremy Chinn

CB Troy Pride Jr. 

There has been more turnover on this team than any other team in the league. From coaches, to scouts, to players….This is an entirely different team. Carolina used all of their 2020 draft picks on defensive players, which is where most of their issues lied. 

Things to Watch

Carolina Panthers

Teddy Bridgewater played well for the Panthers, as he amassed 270 yards and a touchdown, with a quarterback rating of 98.9. Bridgewater will have his hands full on Sunday against the Tampa front seven, who was able to rush Drew Brees some on Sunday. Teddy does a good job of eluding pressure and stepping into the pocket. If he continues that, he should be able to take advantage of the Bucs and their lackluster secondary. Let’s hope the offensive line can hold off the Tampa pass rush. 

Christian McCaffrey started the game off slow on Sunday, but managed to get 134 total yards and 2 touchdowns against the Raiders. There’s no doubt that McCaffrey is still the best running back in the league. Last year, Tampa’s defense held McCaffrey to 110 total yards and 2 touchdowns in two games. That’s amazing when you consider he had a record breaking season. With Tampa’s front seven in-tact, the Bucs could give CMC some fits. Look for Joe Brady to get McCaffrey involved heavily in the passing game. McCaffrey should see some screens, intermediate sideline routes and possibly a deep throw or two so that he can take advantage of Tampa’s secondary. 

The Panthers have one of the fastest wide receiver trios in the league and that was put on display Sunday. Robby Anderson has a 75 yard touchdown from Bridgewater in the fourth quarter to take the lead and then capped it off with a successful two-point conversion. Fans shouldn’t worry about the offense, as they will likely get even better as the season progresses. People don’t realize how much the preseason reps are needed for an offense to sync. Especially in a year where a team has a new coaching staff, new quarterback and three new offensive linemen. Moore, Samuel and Anderson should get ample opportunities to gain separation and get a lot of yards. They must capitalize on a weak Tampa Secondary. Also, look for Carolina to get Ian Thomas involved more, as Tampa had issues shutting down Jared Cook last Sunday. 

Looks like the Carolina defense picked up where they left off from last year…..and that’s not a good thing. Josh Jacobs ran for 93 yards and 3 touchdowns against the Panthers, while Derek Carr added 239 yards and a touchdown through the air. Carolina also had no sacks or hurries on Carr, which is unheard of for a Panthers’ defense. To be fair, this is basically a new defense with a few rookies. Even though the stats aren’t there, Derrick Brown had a good game. Jeremy Chinn flew around the field and had 7 solo tackles in his NFL debut. Troy Pride Jr. played pretty well Sunday, too. He had good coverage skills but he needs to turn his head and look for the ball better. He was in perfect position to intercept that touchdown pass had he just turned his head. Pride definitely outplayed his draft position. 

Not all is bad about the defense, though. Jacobs didn’t break off any big runs and he only averaged 3.7 yards per carry. Teams last year averaged 5.7 yards per carry against Carolina. There was a lot to like about this young defense, but also a lot to work on. Kawann Short struggled against times, but he’s coming off a two game season and shoulder surgery with no preseason to get conditioned. He will get back to his form. Look for Phil Snow to incorporate a few defensive wrinkles to create pressure on Brady. 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 

Tom Brady struggled throughout the first half against the Saints, but started to get into a rhythm as the game wore on. Brady has some weapons to work with, but his offensive line looks a little shaky. 

Tampa has two very good running backs in Leonard Fournette and Ronald Jones. Jones will get the start, but Fournette will likely get a few carries this week now that he’s getting acclimated to the offense. They should have some success against the Panthers’ defense. 

The Bucs have a really good receiving group in Godwin, Evans and Scotty Miller. They also have 3 solid tight ends in Gronkowski, Howard and Brate. Look for Brady to try and expose rookie Troy Pride Jr. and also veteran Tahir Whitehead, who struggled in coverage. 

The Tampa defense has a strong and fast front seven who can stop the run and rush the passer. Their secondary struggled last week at times and will need to get to Bridgewater if they want to have a chance. 

Keys to a Carolina Victory

• Get McCaffrey involved heavily in the pass game. Try and establish the run game with CMC and Mike Davis. Tampa only allowed 82 yards rushing last week, but Carolina still needs to let McCaffrey run. He’s a volume runner. Eventually he will break one or two runs off. 

• Protect Teddy. Bridgewater does well under pressure and steps into the pocket, but the offensive line needs to do their best to keep Teddy clean so he can expose the Tampa secondary. 

• Protect the ball. No turnovers!

• Contain Scotty Miller. Brady loves the small slot receivers and will likely feed the ball to Miller. 

• Maintain gap discipline on defense. Also, set the edge. Can’t let Tampa break off runs on the outside or through holes. 

• Utilize the receivers’ speed. Carolina has three wide outs that can take the top off the defense and gain separation. Go after the Tampa secondary. 

• 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. 

• Get pressure and hurry Brady. It should be easier this week against the Tampa offensive line. 

Key Matchups

• McCaffrey VS Buccaneers defensive line

• Bridgewater VS Buccaneers defensive line

• Pride Jr. and Douglas VS Evans and Godwin

• Carolina’s pass rush VS Brady

• Carolina offensive line VS Tampa’s defensive line

Injury Report

Carolina

DT Kawann Short OUT

DE Yetur Gross-Matos OUT

G Dennis Daley OUT

Tampa Bay

WR Chris Godwin DOUBTFUL

TE Anthony Auclair OUT

Prediction

You can never discount Tom Brady, even at 43 years old. Once he gets into rhythm, he’s hard to beat. However, there’s a possibility he may be without his top receiver, as Chris Godwin is in concussion protocol and will need to clear it if he wants to play. Carolina will come out with a solid game plan and pull out a 35-29 victory in Tampa. McCaffrey will get 160 total yards and 2 touchdowns. DJ Moore will have 110 yards and a touchdown. Robby Anderson will also have a touchdown. Carolina’s defense will get their first sack of the year and end the game with 4 sacks. Troy Pride Jr. will get his first career interception. 

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.

Meet the New Guys: 2020 Draft Class

College Prospect Visits, NFL Draft, Prime Cuts with Norris


Well, this was an exciting draft, wasn’t it? After using free agency to fix the offense, Carolina came into the draft with a plan to fix the defense. Matt Rhule and Marty Hurney had a solid plan and executed it to perfection. On paper, they fixed the run defense, pass rush and began fixing the secondary. They’ll probably have to sign a corner or two in free agency, but there are a few from which to choose. Without further adieu, here are your 2020 Carolina Panthers’ draft picks:

2019 STAT LINE: 54 tackles, 11.5 tackles for a loss, 4 sacks, 4 passes defended, 2 forced fumbles, 2 fumbles recovered

Derrick Brown fills several needs for the Panthers, as he will help stop the run and rush the passer. Brown is the most disruptive tackle in the 2020 NFL Draft and absolutely worth the number seven pick. He has an unreal motor and is quick for a player of his size. Brown is powerful and knows how to knock a lineman off of his feet. His feet never stop churning and he is relentless when getting past blockers. He has a bevy of rush moves at his disposal and knows when to use them. Brown will wreak havoc and disrupt the flow of the opponent’s offense.

Brown is an extremely explosive player. His first step is unreal. Carolina should have no problem against the run anymore, as Brown has the ability to swallow up running backs in the middle. There really is no weakness to Brown’s game, as he is the most balanced defensive tackle to come out of college in the last few years. Brown was a top three player in the draft and the Panthers lucked out with him being there.

Brown is not only a great player on the field, but he’s also a great person off the field. He was a leader in college and was a man among boys. Brown had the opportunity to be a first round pick in the 2019 NFL draft, but opted to return to Auburn for his senior season. He’s going to anchor this defense for years to come and Rhule has to be happy about this pick. Check out this outstanding breakdown on Derrick Brown here.

A Look Ahead: NFL Draft First Round

NFL Draft, Prime Cuts with Norris


The NFL draft is less than a week away, and the Carolina Panthers should have a lot of options at pick seven. With the team concentrating on offense in free agency, they will likely look at mostly defense in the draft. They will look at every option available, but there’s no doubt that Carolina has big holes at certain positions on the defensive side of the ball.

There are a lot of ways Carolina could go, and every possible avenue will be exhausted. They could trade back, trade up, or stand pat, and there’s really no wrong strategy. Obviously trading up from seven would cost too much, but everything is on the table. There are a lot of positions from which to choose, and a lot of talent at Carolina’s positions of need.

DEFENSIVE TACKLE

In 2019, Carolina had the fourth worst run defense in the NFL, as teams averaged 143.5 yards rushing against them. There were missed tackles, players in the wrong places, injuries and lack of gap discipline which caused the issues against the run. The Panthers could use a dominant defensive tackle to help against the run, and there are a few in the 2020 draft that could help.

DERRICK BROWN

Brown is the best defensive tackle prospect in the draft. He’s great against the run and as a pass rusher. Brown is quick off the line, especially for a guy his size. He has a bevy of pass rush moves and is rarely contained at the line. He’s a hard worker and a good teammate. Brown exemplifies the type of player that Coach Rhule is looking for. If Brown is there at seven, expect the team to look hard at drafting him.

JAVON KINLAW

Kinlaw is close behind Brown as a defensive tackle prospect. He’s a rocket off the line and has a lot of pass rush moves. He isn’t as mentally sound as Brown, but that can be coached. Some argue that Kinlaw’s upside is higher than Brown. Either way, they can’t go wrong with either player. Carolina could look at trading back a few spots to accumulate more picks, as well as drafting Kinlaw.