Carolina Panthers

A Look Ahead: 49ers

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Panthers
VS
49ers
Game Time: 4:05

Who else is glad that the bye week is over? That was a brutal week without Panther football. It’s time for Carolina to march into San Francisco to play the undefeated 49ers. Kyle Allen looks to extend his winning streak to 6-0 for his career. Will he be able to withstand the Niners stout defense? Here’s a look ahead to the 49ers:

San Francisco 49ers

Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator

Kyle Shanahan

Defensive Coordinator 

Robert Saleh

Key Acquisitions 

DE Dee Ford (via trade)

LB Kwon Alexander

RB Tevin Coleman

WR Emmanuel Sanders (via trade)

Key Losses

CB Jason Varrett (IR)

WR Pierre Garçon

Key Draft Picks

DE Nick Bosa

WR Deebo Samuel

San Francisco has remained unbeaten through the first seven weeks, although they barely beat Washington last week. Granted, they played in really sloppy conditions. Their defense, led by Dee Ford and rookie, Nick Bosa, has dominated teams, as they only allow an average of 10.7 points per game. This defense will be a test for the Panthers, as this will be the hardest defense they’ve faced all season. Carolina will utilize McCaffrey in both the running game and passing game and try to keep the Niners defense guessing.

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

49ers
20th– 353.0 yds/gm
Total Offense
7th– 387.2 yds/gm
22nd– 223.5 yds/gm
Pass Offense
25th– 214.5 yds/gm
9th– 129.5 yds/gm
Rush Offense
2nd– 172.7 yds/gm
5th– 27.7 yds/gm
Scoring Offense
11th– 26.0 yds/gm
12th– 344.0 yds/gm
Total Defense
2nd– 223.5 yds/gm
7th– 225.0 yds/gm
Pass Defense
1st– 133.5 yds/gm
23rd– 119.0 yds/gm
Rush Defense
8th– 90.0 yds/gm
15th– 22.2 ppg
Points Allowed
2nd– 10.7 ppg

Things to Watch

Carolina Panthers

Ok, Kyle….We see you. This was Allen’s first game with no fumbles and he was looking more comfortable in the pocket. He still has some work to do, but he’s still a young quarterback making the most out of his opportunity. Allen is doing exactly what Carolina was hoping he’d do if Cam got hurt. The 49ers will be a huge test for Allen, who was named the starter on Monday since Cam Newton hasn’t started practicing yet (As Expected). San Francisco has one of the best defenses in the league right now. Make no mistake about it, their defense will be gunning for Allen. Hopefully the offensive line will continue to give him the time he needs to hit his open targets. Norv Turner will likely call a lot of quick passes and three step drops against this defense. He will probably enlist the help of Olsen and Manhertz for blocking as well.

Last week Christian McCaffrey was shut down on the ground, but that didn’t stop him from scoring twice. He will once again be a key part of this offense Sunday, as the 49ers allow an average of 90 yards rushing per game. The 49ers haven’t played a running back of McCaffrey’s caliber yet and it will be interesting to see how they handle him. Especially with this Panthers defense playing as well as they are. If this defensive unit continues its play and gives Allen and McCaffrey good field position, look for McCaffrey to handle the load and be productive. The 49ers seem to play with high pad levels, so McCaffrey should be able to have some success on the ground.

In London, DJ Moore, Curtis Samuel and Greg Olsen all had fairly productive games. Allen may have a little more trouble against this stout defense, but these three receivers plus McCaffrey will be his main targets when he throws. It’s likely that Moore will run a lot of shorter routes, since San Francisco will be pressuring Allen. Plus, he can get a lot of yards after the catch. McCaffrey will be getting a lot of work in the passing game as well. Also, look for Ian Thomas to be involved in more snaps this Sunday. Rivera said that the absence of Thomas was due to his injury putting him behind. Rumors have it, that the staff haven’t liked what they’ve seen in his blocking. Coach Rivera started in a press conference that Thomas has improved and has earned more reps.

Carolina’s defense has been playing at a high level for the past 4 games and looks to keep it going against San Francisco. The Carolina defense is second in the league in quarterback hits, with 50 (NE is first with 51), but Carolina has played one less game than the rest of the top six. That’s something that the Panthers need to continue against San Francisco, as Jimmy Garoppolo seems to struggle when being pressured. Garoppolo has thrown 6 interceptions, has been sacked 8 times and fumbled 5 times. In order for Carolina to win this game, the defense needs to cause Jimmy G to make some mistakes and cause some turnovers. The formula Carolina has used in the past four games is to dominate on defense and give Allen great field position.

Carolina also needs to limit San Francisco’s run game, as they are second in the league in rushing yards per game (172.7 per game). Carolina has struggled to stop the run this year, but hopefully they will learn to stop the run on the way to the quarterback. Carolina leads the league in sacks with 28 (in one less game than the top six) and they’re second in takeaways with 15. While both of San Francisco’s offensive tackles will likely be out again this week, the players filling in (Justin Skule and Daniel Brunskill) have done well. However, they haven’t played a defense like Carolina so far. Hopefully, Carolina has another 7 sack and 7 takeaway game and beat the Niners.

San Francisco 49ers

Jimmy Garoppolo is finally healthy for the 49ers and has the team undefeated through the first six games. He isn’t carrying the team, but he’s being a game manager. Much like Carolina, Garoppolo’s defense puts him and the offense in position to win. Having a good running game helps, but Garoppolo makes the necessary throws when he needs to. If he wants to take his team to 7-0, he will need to limit his mistakes against this opportunistic Carolina defense. While both offensive tackles have been out for consecutive weeks, the backups have played pretty well in their absence. They will have a test on Sunday, as they haven’t played a defense as dominant as Carolina.

San Francisco has a solid running back trio in Matt Breida, Tevin Coleman and Raheem Mostert. This will be a test for Carolina’s 23rd ranked rush defense. This is a very dynamic backfield that can be utilized in both the running and passing game. The 49ers rank second in rushing and will look to keep that going this Sunday.

The main target in San Francisco is tight end, George Kittle. Kittle leads the team with 376 receiving yards. The receiving room consists of Marquise Goodwin (181 yards), Deebo Samuel (168 yards), Kendrick Bourne (139 yards) and Richie James (108 yards). However, there’s a new guy in town, as the 49ers have traded for Emmanuel Sanders this week. Sanders will give the team a proven target that is sure to enhance the offense, if Garoppolo has time to throw. With any luck, Carolina will put more pressure on Garoppolo than he is used to.

The 49er defense is stout. They have five first rounders on the defensive line and they are playing lights out. This will be a tough test for Kyle Allen and the Panthers’ offensive line. The defense has 20 sacks and 35 quarterback pressures. Look for the defense to blitz at a higher rate to get Allen to make mistakes. The secondary of San Francisco is also one of the best in the league, but their pass rush is one of the main reasons they’ve been successful.

Keys to a Carolina Victory

• Run McCaffrey early and often (as always). The 49ers rank 8th in rush defense, so he will have his work cut out for him. CMC is a volume runner, which means the more you give it to him, the better he gets.

• Protect Kyle Allen. The line needs to give Allen time to find his target. The San Francisco defensive line will be coming for him.

• Moore and company need to get separation. Continue to mix things up with Samuel in the run game.

• Pressure Garoppolo. He makes mistakes when he’s pressured and doesn’t like to leave the pocket. He rarely extends plays with his legs. Pressuring him will shake his confidence.

• Bradberry and the Panthers defense need to continue their solid play, as the 49ers are stacked with speedy receivers. The (likely) return of Donte Jackson will help with that.

• Defense needs to cause several turnovers to give Allen less field to work with. Playing against a stacked defense could make it hard on Allen and the offense, but good field position will make things easier.

• Protect the ball! If the 49ers defense sacks Allen, he needs to hold onto the ball. He did that last week, so hopefully he continues to get better.

Key Matchups

• Christian McCaffrey VS 49ers Defensive Line

• DJ Moore/Curtis Samuel VS Richard Sherman/Ahkello Witherspoon

• Emmanuel Sanders/Marquise Goodwin VS James Bradberry

• Greg Olsen VS Kwon Alexander

• George Kittle VS Luke Kuechly

• 49ers Running Back Trio VS Carolina Defensive Line

Injury Report

Carolina Panthers

Carolina should get Trai Turner and Donte Jackson back this week and it comes at a good time. Allen will need all the protection he can get in this game. Cam is still out this week, but he has been practicing on the side with trainers, as he continues the rehab process. Greg Little is still in concussion protocol, but is progressing nicely. The team will be bringing him along slowly since this is his second concussion this year. The emergence of sixth round pick, Dennis Daley, has eased the effects of losing the second round tackle.

San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers will be without their starting right tackle, Mike McGlinchey, and Full Back Kyle Juszczyk. They will likely be without their starting left tackle, Joe Staley, again also. The backup tackles have played well in Staley and McGlinchey’s absence, but Carolina’s defense is unlike any they’ve faced.

Prediction

This will be a tough match against an undefeated team, but in reality, the 49ers haven’t played anyone with a winning record. So, this will be a huge test for them, too. Essentially, these two teams are almost mirrored from each other. Dominating defense, good running game, game manager quarterback and solid offensive line. This will be a defensive battle (obviously) and will likely be a somewhat low scoring game. Carolina is currently averaging 27.7 points per game, but San Francisco is allowing 10.7 points per game. Norv Turner having two weeks to prepare makes a difference, as Carolina wins on the road, 24-17. Led by Christian McCaffrey and a great defensive effort, San Francisco is no longer unbeaten. #KeepPounding

CMC for MVP?

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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.

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

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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)

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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

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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

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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