The Panthers are heavy underdogs for today’s game in Kansas City against the Chiefs. This team has been able to keep the score relatively close in every matchup so far this season, though. Carolina needs to follow a few keys to avoid its first blowout loss of the year.
Here are four keys we will be keeping an eye on this afternoon.
Offense: No All-22, attack the linebackers
All-22 generally refers to the birds-eye camera angle that film nerds use to analyze games. It could also accurately describe this Carolina offense at times over the last two and a half years. Christian McCaffrey’s return to the lineup is a welcome one after a six-week stint on injured reserve. The Panthers need all the help they can get against Kansas City, but they have to be careful to not make the whole offense revolve around No. 22. McCaffrey is an elite running back. However, this offense became less predictable and therefore more dynamic when he was out. Offensive coordinator Joe Brady has to put McCaffrey to use in new ways and keep using the other weapons he has at his disposal, including Mike Davis.
As far as the Chiefs defense goes, there’s not a whole lot of help to be found. The champs have a strong secondary led by Tyrann Mathieu and lethal pass rushers both inside (Chris Jones) and out (Frank Clark). If there is a weakness, it’s their linebacker corps, which can be exploited in coverage. McCaffrey and Davis are both excellent receivers, so it’s worth seeing if they can win one-on-one against Damien Wilson and Anthony Hitchens. This would also be a good time to get the tight ends more involved. Ian Thomas and Chris Manhertz may be disappointing as receivers but targeting them would be a tendency breaker. Brady needs to pull out all the stops and use as many of those as he can get.
Defense: Smart pressure on Patrick Mahomes, Keep Tyreek Hill in front of you
The reason this team won the Super Bowl though is the strength of its offense, which somehow got even more loaded during the offseason when they added Clyde Edwards-Helaire at running back. They also recently picked up Le’Veon Bell. The Panthers can’t stop the run and they won’t win most of their individual matchups, especially if rookie DB/LB Jeremy Chinn is unable to play (he is questionable with a knee injury). That makes it all the more critical that they win up front and get consistent pressure on Patrick Mahomes.
The surprise activation of rookie defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos from the injured reserve list yesterday should help. He was getting pressure at an astounding rate before his high ankle sprain. While he was out, Brian Burns become a world-wrecking pass-rush force who now has to be in the best-defensive-end-in-the-NFL conversation. Assuming Gross-Matos is in the lineup and these two can get consistent pressure on Mahomes, it will help limit Kansas City’s potent offense a great deal. They have to be smart about it, though. Mahomes is most-dangerous when he’s outside of the pocket improvising. Burns and especially Gross-Matos have to maintain their edge discipline and not allow No. 15 to slip out and do his Houdini on the run routine.
Of course Mahomes is going to make his plays and you can only hope to contain a talent like that so much. The Chiefs become unbeatable when he gets into a rhythm throwing deep to Tyreek Hill, who is the fastest player in the sport. Carolina’s defensive backs have to work together to keep Hill in front of them and not let him win over the top. One big catch and run from Hill can break the whole game open.