Carolina Panthers taking input from Chuba Hubbard, Rico Dowdle on play-calling

Dave Canales’s club is off to a 0-2 start for the second straight year. Save for basically a fourth-quarter surge in last Sunday’s 27-22 loss at Arizona, the Carolina Panthers’ offense has been less-than-scintillating. One issue has been a running attack that has combined for just 162 yards in eight quarters. That includes a mere 49 yards last week vs. the Cardinals.

It’s obviously an extremely small sample size, but only five teams in the league have gained fewer yards on the ground than Canales’s club. This week, offensive coordinator Brad Idzik spoke about experienced running backs Chuba Hubbard and Rico Dowdle, and how they are hoping to make Carolina’s rushing attack more formidable.

“I think with Chuba,” explained Idzik (via Mike Kaye of The Charlotte Observer), “he’s voicing the things that he likes, which I love. When players come back to you and give you feedback on, ‘Hey, this concept makes my vision a little blurry. Hey, this concept is something that I have a comfort level (with). I’d love to add this if it fits within what the defense is presenting to us.’ So, the communication from the backs has been awesome.”

Chuba Hubbard and Rico Dowdle looking to have bigger say on offense

So far, Hubbard (95), Dowdle (21), and rookie Trevor Etienne (4) have combined for 120 yards rushing on 36 attempts (26 by Hubbard)—a mere 3.3 yards per carry. Quarterback Bryce Young is actually second on the team with 42 rushing yards, but the Panthers need more from their veteran 1-2 punch, each who have their own styles/.

“Rico and Chuba like different things,” added Idzik. “We were actually in the walkthrough (this week), and we were talking about—I don’t want to tell everybody what they are—but we were talking about some of the schemes that they’ve done in the past. And it becomes apparent that these guys are all different, and they all feel different schemes a little bit in their own way.”

If the Panthers are to be a balanced attack and also keep Young out of harm’s way, the ground attack must step up in a big way this week vs. the rival Falcons. That may be easier said than done given the current state of the club’s offensive line. Then again, while Atlanta has surrendered only 179 yards on the ground in two games, Raheem Morris’s defense is allowing a brisk 4.3 yards per carry.

- Enjoy more free Panthers coverage with Carolina Panthers on SI -

Carolina Panthers’ legend Steve Smith is totally out of line for ripping fans

Bryce Young chooses interesting word to describe WR Xavier Legette

Why coach Dave Canales might be setting Bryce Young up for failure

Panthers’ injury luck not improving heading into 2025 home opener