Week 3: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
The Panthers snapped their 10-game losing streak on Sunday with a close 21-16 victory against the Los Angeles Chargers. The game went down to the wire, but the Panthers defense prevailed in the final seconds. As head coach Matt Rhule stated, "It was an ugly win, but a win nonetheless." There was definitely some good, bad, and ugly that was displayed throughout this winning effort, so we're going to go over each component.
The GOOD: They pressured the quarterback!
Justin Herbert was having a difficult time in the pocket and that was due to the fact that there were constantly defenders in his face. The pressure heavily affected Herbert and forced the Chargers to turn the ball over four times (three lost fumbles and one interception). Brian Burns especially had a very productive day with one sack and a pass deflection, but he was giving Herbert problems all game long. The pressure finally affected the quarterback on Sunday, and it was one of the biggest reasons why the Panthers were able to get the W.
The BAD: Running backs are still giving the Panthers defense issues
Even though the Panthers defense shined in many spots, there were still some negative aspects to their performance on Sunday. Being able to stop running backs has been a problem for this defense, and that pattern continued against the Chargers. Austin Ekeler rushed for 59 yards and one touchdown on 12 carries. He also recorded 11 receptions for 84 yards. That's a total of 143 yards from scrimmage. The Panthers have to do a better job at controlling the opposing team's running back. Josh Jacobs, Leonard Fournette, and now Austin Ekeler have gashed this defense. They will be tested once again when they face Kenyan Drake this week.
The UGLY: Missed red zone opportunities
This game wouldn't have been as close as it was if the Panthers had more success in the red zone. Carolina finished 1/6 in red zone efficiency. If this offense was able to generate more touchdowns out of these opportunities, then the Panthers would have won by multiple possessions. Luckily, the Panthers defense was able to bail this offense out, but they might not be able to get away with missed red zone opportunities against Kyler Murray and the explosive Arizona Cardinals. This offense will have to improve in the red zone if this team wants to win its second straight game this season.
You can follow us for future coverage by clicking "Follow" on the top right hand corner of the page. Also, be sure to like us on Facebook & Twitter:
Facebook - @PanthersOnSI
Twitter - @SI_Panthers and Jason Hewitt at @jasonhewitt50
