The Panthers are currently underdogs by about a touchdown for today’s game against the Chargers. To avoid a dreaded 0-3 start to the season, they need to come through in several important areas of the game.
Here are two keys to an upset win against LA this afternoon.
Offense: Don’t let Joey Bosa wreck your day
These Chargers have a tough defensive unit led by their elite, disruptive defensive end Joey Bosa. When Carolina’s not running away from Bosa, they should be double-teaming him. Offensive coordinator Joe Brady might have gotten a bit of luck, though. With Melvin Ingram going on injured reserve Saturday, their defensive line may be more vulnerable on the other side. Brady needs to keep Bosa from wrecking the gameplan in general and see if he can exploit the inexperienced Uchenna Nwosu, who has just six starts in his career.
Defense: Contain Keenan Allen in the slot
Joey Bosa is LA’s top defender. On offense, their most potent playmaker is wide receiver Keenan Allen. While he hasn’t caught a touchdown pass yet this season, he has 34 in his career and has averaged 74.3 yards per game. Allen led the Chargers with 10 targets last week. The highly underrated Allen (6-foot-2, 211 pounds) may do his best work from the slot. There he’ll have a massive size advantage against Corn Elder (5-foot-10, 183 pounds). If that proves too much for Elder to handle, defensive coordinator Phil Snow has to tinker with his rotations until he finds a way to slow Allen down.
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