Most yards before contact per running back rush:
1. Panthers: 3.30
2. Ravens: 3.29
3.49ers: 3.21
4. Browns: 2.94
5. Texans: 2.86Reflective of good push up front and elusive ball carriers.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) December 18, 2019
There’s not much the Panthers can hang their hat on this season. One thing they’ve excelled at no matter what the standings say in recent years has been their ability to block for the run. According to Field Yates at ESPN, Carolina leads the league in average yards before contact on running back rushes. They’re just barely ahead of the Ravens in this area.
While Pro Bowler Christian McCaffrey’s elusiveness certainly is a part of it, this stat is mostly about the front line.
There’s more to line play than run blocking, though and the Panthers have struggled in pass protection all season. ESPN has them ranked No. 30 in pass block win rate for the year. While it would be nice to see more balance, it’s rare for offensive lines to be great at both. Finding better pass blockers should be a priority for the next front office regime, though.
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