The Panthers got beat badly on Sunday. The offense didn’t muster any points Baker Mayfield took over at QB in the second half, and by then the defense had already gotten run into the ground by Joe Mixon and the Bengals 35-0. Neither side of the ball played well, but Terrace Marshall got himself his first TD as a pro in the 4th quarter. The game was basically over at that point, however it continued this progression by Marshall as he led the team in receiving with 3 receptions for 53 yards and a touchdown. The previous week (against the same opponents he faces this week), Marshall logged 4 receptions for 87 yards on 9 targets.
The formula to beat the Panthers offense is out there now; limit DJ Moore in the passing game, be aggressive in containing D’Onta Foreman, and make the rest of the team win their matchups. And don’t be mistaken when I say Marshall is my player to watch, Moore and Foreman will still get plenty of touches on Thursday Night Football. However, someone else needs to step up as the Falcons will likely gameplan to nullify the guys that led the 34 point charge that should have beaten them in week 8.
Moore’s getting plenty of manufactured touches on top of his usual targets in this Steve Wilks era. D’Onta Foreman took over as the lead back and will run over a team if the rushing offense can get itself rolling. But that’s the expectation, and I believe the Falcons will have a better developed gameplan now that there’s more tape out there on the post-Matt Rhule offensive scheme. This is where Marshall comes in. He’s logged 9 receptions for 171 yards in the last three weeks as his target share has elevated since the departure of Robbie Anderson. 9 targets against a bad Falcons secondary two weeks ago is the most Carolina has gotten him involved since his name was called in the Draft. This week, I want to see more, and I believe he gets it.
PJ Walker needs as much help as he can get out there. Taking some of the brunt of DJ Moore may very well lead to a win this week. Marshall clearly is a downfield threat, and for a QB who likes to take those chances, he’s the guy I want when DJ Moore is wrapped up or schemed out of a play. Keep your eyes on Marshall. I think PJ Walker will chuck a few long balls his way.
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