What if Kawann Short is Ruled Out for Sunday's Game?
The Panthers have another stiff challenge this weekend as they hit the road to take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
One of the biggest areas of concern for the Panthers in week one was the amount of pressure they generated in the pocket or lack thereof. Raiders QB Derek Carr did not get sacked a single time and the pressure was nearly non-existent. This has to be an area of improvement if the Panthers want a shot to upset the Bucs this Sunday in Tampa.
Unfortunately, Carolina could be without starting defensive tackle Kawann Short, who is currently nursing a foot injury.
"Anytime someone doesn't practice, I'm concerned," Panthers head coach Matt Rhule said. "We'll wait and see how the week plays out and see if we are able to have him, but he finished the game on Sunday and he's working hard to come back. I'm sure if anyone can come back, I'm sure KK can."
The injury occurred at some point during the loss to the Raiders, but Rhule was unsure of when exactly it happened.
"I don't know exactly when it was to be quite honest with you. I just remember at one point, they came over to me and said he's down with a foot, he came off the field and he went back out and played. I don't exactly remember when in the game that was."
So that brings us to the big question: What if Short can't go? Is it panic time?
Well, luckily, the Panthers have a massive disrupter in the middle with Derrick Brown. The only problem is, he's only got one NFL game under his belt, so counting on him to plays lights out may be asking a lot. It's going to have to be done by committee. Zach Kerr and Bravvion Roy would certainly see an increase in snaps and although they need to play well, the guys in the secondary will need to play well above their expectations. When there is not much pressure in the pocket, it allows the quarterback to sit back and pick apart the defense. Rasul Douglas, Donte Jackson, Troy Pride Jr., Jeremy Chinn, Tre Boston - all of those guys have to play their best football if Short is out. Should Short be able to go, it might be able to hide some of the deficiencies the secondary has if they can get to Brady early and often.
There's also some concern about the ankle of Donte Jackson. Although he was a full participant at Wednesday's practice, his status could change between now and the game. If Jackson is ruled out, the Panthers will almost need Short to try and give it a go.
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