For Panthers QB Baker Mayfield, the remedy to early woes may be right in front of him
The answers to the Panthers’ early-season offensive woes may be directly in front of quarterback Baker Mayfield.
“I think Baker, like the rest of the offense, they have done some good things,” Carolina head coach Matt Rhule said. “We were in the red zone four times last week. If you are in the red zone four times, you’d think you’d have a chance to win the game. ... At the quarterback position, you’re counting on a lot of different people to do things right.”
Rhule said there were plays against the Giants where Carolina receivers were running “14-yard over routes instead of 20,” or “diving for 12-yards gain when they should be running for touchdowns.”
But Mayfield has not quarterbacked expert-level football, either. He admitted that himself.
“I only care about winning, no matter what my stats are. ... So, I gotta command this group better. To lead better, I have to make sure everybody’s on the same page where we are executing at a much higher level,” Mayfield said. “That’s the biggest disappointment for me is that hasn’t shown yet. And I take full ownership for that as an offense.”
The offense has shown its ability in flashes. But an inability to sustain drives is costing Carolina opportunities. The Panthers rank 30th in plays per drive (5) and 28th in yards per drive (25.5).
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McCaffrey a solution?
Checking the ball down to All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey would help Carolina pick up first downs.
Through two games, McCaffrey ranks 18th in running back receiving yards with 50. Excluding games McCaffrey has not finished, he has not been held to fewer than 35 receiving yards in consecutive games since 2017.
In Week 1, McCaffrey caught four of five targets for 26 yards. His four receptions against New York totaled 26 yards.
“There’s some times where we can just check the ball down and get it to him,” Rhule said. “I’m sure Baker is going to work on that, coaches are going to work on that.”
NFL offenses want their quarterbacks to keep their eyes downfield, seek explosive plays and drive the football. However, there is an acrobatic balance Mayfield must find when playing with a back as uniquely talented as McCaffrey.
There were plenty of snaps against the Giants when McCaffrey was double-teamed while running option or stick routes, which is rare for any running back. But McCaffrey is far from any other running back. There have been opportunities for McCaffrey to catch the ball on plays not necessarily called for him.
“It’s a fine line to walk, being really aggressive, but also just knowing we have certain things called and if it’s not there, play the next play. So check it down,” Mayfield said. “A checkdown is pretty good option when you can check it down to some of the guys we have. So it’s definitely an area of emphasis for me this week.”
Mayfield ranks 26th in passing yards, 34th in completion percentage (53.6%), 31st in third-down conversion passes and 32nd in QBR. Checking it down to one of the best players in football should help improve those numbers.
