The Panthers’ pass rush was terrible against the Raiders. That spells doom vs. Tom Brady
No athlete has ever defeated father-time. When that biological clock tells you it’s time, it’s time. Ask Peyton Manning, Michael Jordan and Barry Bonds.
And while some critics are already saying Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady is no longer the player he once was, the Panthers aren’t buying it.
“First of all, he is the GOAT (Greatest of All Time),” Panthers linebacker Shaq Thompson said of Brady. “But he’s very smart. He knows how to pick apart whether you’re in a zone defense or a man defense.”
Brady, who spent his first 20 seasons with the New England Patriots before joining the Bucs this offseason, had a rocky start in Tampa Bay’s season opener against the New Orleans Saints. He completed 23 of 36 passes for 239 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. One of his interceptions was returned for a touchdown, and the Saints won 34-23.
Brady was pressured 13 times last Sunday, hit four times and sacked three times, according to Pro Football Focus. He completed 5 of 9 passes for 46 yards when under pressure for a total PFF offense grade of 50 (out of 100). When not under pressure, his completion percentage was 11.1% better and his offense grade was 90.4.
Meanwhile in Charlotte, the Panthers struggled in coverage against Derek Carr and got little to no pass rush. Generating a pass rush against the Bucs will be critical for the Panthers in covering up some of its coverage woes, especially if cornerback Donte Jackson, who hurt his ankle in Sunday’s game, is not able to play.
Dating back to the 2017 season, Brady is 12-1 in games when he is not sacked.
Little pressure and no sacks
When Panthers’ coach Matt Rhule was asked what his team needed to improve on heading into Week 2, the first thing he mentioned was generating a pass rush.
Carr, who had time in the pocket Sunday, completed 73 percent of his passes for 239 yards and a touchdown.
The Panthers had four total pressures, and no hits or sacks on Carr. It was the first time since Sept. 16, 2018, against the Atlanta Falcons that the Panthers did not record a sack in a game.
In the first quarter of last Sunday’s game, the Raiders had first-and-10 from the Panthers’ 46-yard line. They ran a play-action fake, and Carr found rookie wide receiver Henry Ruggs open for a 45-yard reception. Carr held the ball in his hands for about five seconds before releasing the pass. The Raiders scored on the next play.
“The long ball across the field, we needed some more pass rush there on that play,” Rhule said. “And we need more pressure in general.”
Fearlessly rush
Some of the Panthers’ best teams in franchise history have been able to get to the quarterback, which also covered up any deficiencies at cornerback. The 2013 Panthers’ team, which finished 12-4, led the league with 60 sacks that season. The 2015 Super Bowl team, finished sixth in the league with 44 sacks.
“I want to see us fearlessly rush,” Rhule said. “I felt like a lot of times we had guys playing run. It was not a matter of effort. But we were pushing the pocket, had our eyes on the quarterback and playing run too long. We’ve got to hit some pass-rush moves and if we hit pass rush moves, it will lead to pressure. It will lead to sacks.”
Part of the reason the Panthers weren’t able to reach Carr, Rhule said, was because he threw a lot of quick passes and screens. Carr ranked ninth out of 30 quarterbacks in “time to throw,” according to Next Gen Stats. He released the ball 2.49 seconds after the snap. By comparison, Teddy Bridgewater ranked 10th, and his average time to throw was 2.52 seconds.
The Panthers may have a little more time to get to Brady than they did against Carr. Bruce Arians’ offense tends to be more vertical as they like to take shots down field.
Brady released the ball on average after 2.69 seconds, which is ranked 19th.
“The pass rush is everything,” Thompson said. “That’s what’s going to drive how we play the game as a defense. If we get pass rush on first and second down, we get them on third-and-long and not have the third-and-shorts, and we’re able to run more pressures. We’re able to run more zones, more coverages.
“But the pass rush is everything on defense.”
This story was originally published September 15, 2020 at 2:58 PM.
