Last week, the start of the game looked much of the same for the Carolina Panthers (3-2). An ineffective running game, porous pass protection, and a rattled Cam Newton lead to turnovers, a lack of yardage, and an impending sense of doom for a 3rd straight game. Rookie phenom Kelvin Benjamin would fumble the ball on the Panthers second series, and the Chicago Bears would turn that into a touchdown almost immediately. As though the Keystone Cops had stepped in for the Panthers, Newton would get sacked and fumble the ball on the very next series. Again, Jay Cutler and the Bears would make no mistake, turning it into another seven points.
It was 21-7 at the two minute warning in the first half, yet something very unusual would happen: veteran Bears K Robbie Gould would miss a veritable chip-shot 35 yard FG. Suddenly, the offense took the field and had life. Newton would march the team 75 yards in 1:39 behind a no huddle, quick strike offense. The second half saw a renaissance for the Panthers, on both sides of the ball. OC Mike Shula would call a balanced offensive attack that allowed the Panthers to tie the game. Defensive turnovers would allow the offense to take the lead for good in the 4th quarter. Needless to say the win was a welcome relief, not only for Panther fans, but also for the team itself.
They needed some positives going into this part of their schedule, as it is literally murderers row from here on out. The first heavyweight tilt comes against a team that was uncharacteristically blown out last week against the New England Patriots. The Cincinnati Bengals (3-1) will likely be an angry football team, looking to rebound after last weeks embarrassing SNF loss (something we are unfortunately accustomed to). Recent history will be against the Panthers in this one, as the team has lost 8 straight games to the AFC North, with the last win coming in 2006 against the Ravens. The Panthers will have to be just as efficient this week, as the Bengals defense is not to be trifled with. If they want to stay above .500, they will need to play smart and fast.
With that, let us delve into the offense for this week.
Panthers Passing Offense
The modus operandi for the Panthers offense so far this season, at least in the games they have won, is to play badly in the first half, go into the locker room at halftime, remember how to football, then ball out in the second half. Suffice to say it has been an odd year so far. You can only play that game for so long though. While the Panthers managed to pull a rabbit out of their hat last week thanks to some defensive magic, they cannot rely on the offense to dig this team out of a double digit deficit each week in the second half. Something has to give. The Panthers were able to get moving down the field thanks to a no huddle offense, something Newton seems to thrive in. It would behoove Mike Shula to allow Newton to run this offense as much as possible. Especially against a defense like the Bengals.
While they didn't seem like it last week, they are an elite defense. Led by players like defensive linemen Geno Atkins and Carlos Dunlap, LB's Vontaze Burfict and Rey Maualuga, and in the secondary CB Leon Hall and S George Iloka, a guy many here at CSR were hoping the Panthers could have nabbed in the draft a few years ago. The Bengals have a great mix of vets and relative newbies, especially in the secondary. While the defense ranks 19th in the league, allowing around 251 passing yards per game (a number surely inflated by Tom Brady last week), they are one of only a few teams to have more INT's than TD's allowed. It has been tough going for teams who face this Bengal defense, however, the Patriots showed they do have weaknesses.
Something to keep in mind about that Bengals game last week is that Burfict was out for that game. Some might consider him to be like our version of Thomas Davis for their defense. He had a breakout year last year, although a concussion has kept him out for several weeks. He looks to be a go for this week which will spell trouble for the Panthers offense. Other injuries however, might balance out the return of Burfict for the Bengals. As of this posting, Iloka, Maualuga, and Maualuga's back up Vincent Rey are all questionable for this game. If just one of them can't go, it will be a blow to that defense, and something the Panthers should fully take advantage of.
If the Panthers are to have success in the air, the offensive line will need to play as well as it did in the second half last week. Byron Bell and Nate Chandler cannot allow DE's Dunlap and Wallace Gilberry to gain the edge on them. While none of the LB's have a sack yet, that doesn't mean Bengals DC Paul Guenther won't try some exotic blitzes to take advantage of the Panthers precarious offensive line. A lot of how Carolina attacks the Bengals defense will depend on the injuries to the Bengals. Look for Kelvin Benjamin to bounce back from a poor outing last week. The Bengals only have one CB in Dre Kirkpatrick above 6 feet tall. Newton should try and target Benjamin early and often to get the young receiver into a good rhythm. Also, getting Greg Olsen (if healthy) the ball is always a must for this offense. The key to all of this, as usual, is the offensive line. They must give Cam Newton time to throw, or Mike Shula will have to adjust the playcalling to compensate.
X-Factor: Jerricho Cotchery
I put his name here because the NC State alum has yet to score for the Panthers. He has been a great pick up for this team though. I think many felt he was going to just be a mentor for Kelvin Benjamin, but he has been a lot more than that so far this year. While he only has 16 catches for 204 yards, I feel this is a game where he can be counted on for more. He is familiar with this Bengals defense, having played in the AFC North for the past three years. This could be a game he finally registers a score. He is a willy vet going up against fellow vets, CB's Leon Hall and Terrance Newman. If Newton can get him the ball, it will take the pressure off Benjamin which might open him up for more opportunities. This would be a great weekend for Cotchery to finally get on the score sheet.
Panthers Rushing Offense
There comes a time in life when you finally need to give up on something that clearly isn't working. Maybe it is a job you hate going to everyday, or a relationship that just isn't doing it anymore for you. For the Panthers, it is unfortunately the run game. But like a bad case of hemorrhoids, it isn't something we can simply toss away and move on from. The Panthers need to use the run game to at least keep the defense somewhat honest. That isn't going to be easy given what the Panthers have to work with.
RB's DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart will likely be out again this week. That leaves the RB by committee group with Darrin Reaves, Chris Ogbonnaya, and Fozzy Whittaker. Reaves and Ogbonnaya combined for 59 yards on 19 carries. Bad doesn't really do the stat line justice. So the question is: should the Panthers give up on the run game? The answer is no.
Now that doesn't mean they should beat their heads against the proverbial wall and run it up the gut into a pile of humanity every other play. Running plays better suited to the types of runners we have would be a good start. Not giving up on the run game also allows the Panthers to run the occasional play action pass play. In reality though, it is going to be difficult to expect much from the ground game, even though the Bengals got gashed up and down the field last week. Don't put too much faith in the Bengals being the 27th ranked rush defense in the league. The Panthers have faced similarly ranked defenses in the Steelers and Bears and had very little success against them. At this rate, the backs would likely be better suited at pass blocking in the backfield for Newton.
X-Factor: Someone at RB Doing Something Good
I honestly don't know what to even put here. The run game has been so putrid and lifeless that there really isn't much to point to and say "yeah, that looks like it is starting to work". I'd love nothing more than for this team's runners to combine for 100+ yards on the ground. Again though, nothing so far gives me much hope that will happen anytime soon. But hey, I've been wrong before.
Overall Outlook
I'm honestly surprised we have done so well passing the ball considering how one dimensional we have become. I believe a lot of that is a credit to Cam Newton becoming a much better passer this year. Unfortunately the lack of a decent offensive line has led to him not looking as good as probably could this year. It is also a testament to the receiving corps this team has. This game will come down to the Panthers doing just enough on the ground to allow the passing game to flourish like it has so far. The Bengals will come out ready to play and prove that last week was simply an anomaly. The Panthers must be ready for aggressiveness from the Bengals defense early on to set the tempo. If they don't match the Bengals punch for punch, it will be a long afternoon. Cincinnati is not a team you want to fall 14 behind on.