The Carolina Panthers found an identity. Can they keep it against the Patriots?
Joe Brady laughed when asked if he has ever called a game like he did in Atlanta.
“I can’t say that I have,” Brady said. “We say every week, there’s a way to win every game. And we went into it last week knowing that was the blueprint. Our guys did a great job of executing it and staying on the field on third down and converting.”
Versus the Falcons, Carolina carried it 47 times for 203 yards, signaling a complete dedication to running the football. Coach Matt Rhule’s repeated call for more rushing plays finally manifested.
The Panthers’ line pushed Atlanta backward and averaged 4.3 yards per carry without Christian McCaffrey in the backfield. He was designated to return on Wednesday but was limited in practice.
By picking up tough yardage and staying committed to their game plan, those early short runs eventually turned into longer gains in the fourth quarter. It started up front with the offensive line.
“It was one of those games that you know, there’s a lot of bloody runs,” Brady said. “You’re gonna have to live with the three-yard runs and the four-yard runs, but it gets you into manageable third downs.”
With each run call, Carolina set itself up for better third-down situations. That led to the Panthers converting 10 of their 17 third-down tries, which is more than 20% better than their season average.
Whether McCaffrey plays Sunday, Brady plans on running often against New England. The Patriots rank 17th against the run according to Football Outsiders’ DVOA metric. They are allowing 112 yards per game, but held Chargers running back Austin Ekeler to 64 yards last week.
That may have been Los Angeles’ design as Ekeler only had 11 carries while quarterback Justin Herbert threw it 35 times. Don’t expect PJ Walker or Sam Darnold to drop back nearly that much. Unless their script gets away from them, Brady and Rhule sound committed to running the ball.
“As unfortunate it is that Christian hasn’t been there, it’s given the other guys an opportunity to show what they can do, and show that they can play this game at a high level,” Brady said of Chuba Hubbard, Royce Freeman and Ameer Abdullah. “Whenever Christian is able to come back, being able to integrate them in there (is important) so we’re not having to rely on Christian as much.”
Fewer touches for McCaffrey is logical in theory. He’s started six games over the past two seasons. Using Hubbard and Abdullah can protect him from high-volume workloads. But Brady also understands McCaffrey’s unicorn value.
“Whenever he is out there, he’s one of the best football players in football,” Brady said. “So you have to be mindful, the defense is mindful of him every time he’s out there, too. You’re obviously a better football team. But you also have to be mindful of how much he is out there.”
That’s a lot to keep in mind. It’s a conundrum the Panthers are hopeful they find themselves in if McCaffrey’s hamstring complies.
This story was originally published November 4, 2021 at 3:27 PM.
