The Indianapolis Colts (6-8), after being eliminated from playoff contention, look to put one in the win column for the first time in four weeks. They host a Carolina Panthers (5-9) team that has also struggled greatly in the second half of the season.
Carolina fired their longtime head coach Ron Rivera a few weeks ago, which has had a negative effect on the team. The Panthers players have shown signs of just giving up and are playing with little to no life.
While Carolina is a depleted football team, they are still a talented roster that can compete with many teams in the league. With a few additions in the offseason and some time to get healthy, Carolina can be right back in contention.
With a chance to turn things around going into next season, here are five Panthers the Colts must gameplan for in order to pick up a win:
RB Christian McCaffrey
As one of the league’s most dynamic playmakers, McCaffrey is a matchup nightmare for defenses. A dual-threat pass catcher and quick running back, he is dangerous every single play and can touch the ball any time.
With 1,307 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns on the ground this year, McCaffrey has been in the MVP conversation in 2019. While also totaling 814 receiving yards and four touchdowns through the air, McCaffrey has a real chance to go over 1,000 yards receiving and rushing.
Stopping No. 22 will be priority No. 1 for the Colts defense that has struggled to stop the run in recent weeks. Matt Eberflus must make sure to have a spy on McCaffery all game, preferable Darius Leonard who has the speed to stay with him.
LB Luke Kuechly
As one of the best linebackers in the league for the past four seasons, Kuechly is still going strong with 131 tackles in 2019. This high number of total tackles leads the team and is fourth in the NFL.
Kuechly’s toughness and speed makes him a special talent and he can be a great run stopper. His coverage skills are somewhat underrated as well which makes him a serious threat to offensive production on Sunday. Kuechly will have to be picked up in blitz coverage as well which should be a real challenge for the interior of the offensive line and running backs.
WR D.J. Moore
As the Panthers number one receiver this season, Moore has really broken out of his first-year struggles. With 1,174 receiving yards and four touchdowns on the season, Moore ranks third among all receivers in yards caught.
Moore is a speedy wideout that has found his fit in this Carolina system. Paired with other speedster Curtis Samuel, they combine for a solid one-two punch. This receiving corps is undersized but filled with talent.
Expect Rock Ya-Sin to be on Moore all game, which should be a great matchup for the two young players.
S Eric Reid
Reid is one of the NFL’s most underrated strong safeties. He came to Carolina in 2018 and has had a productive two years. He is the cornerstone of their secondary and can fly all around the field.
With 113 total tackles, four sacks, and two fumble recoveries this season, Reid has been an issue for opposing teams. He plays very similarly to Tyrann Mathieu and loves to fly off the edge on blitzes.
The Colts running backs will have to pick him up in pass coverage and keep him contained if they want to have success throwing the football.
DE Mario Addison
Leading the team in sacks with 9.5, Addison has had a dominant season at defensive end. He also has 31 total tackles and two forced fumbles which shows he is good at getting after the quarterback.
Having a guy that can constantly provide pressure off the edge is so dangerous and the Colts offensive line will have their hands full Sunday. This will be a good test for Braden Smith and Mark Glowinski who struggled last week against New Orleans.