Fixing the Panthers offense: OC Ben McAdoo says ‘I was brought here to make an impact’
The Carolina Panthers offense has a CVS-receipt length of problems.
Its quarterback ranks near the bottom of almost every passing metric. Its receivers are not getting the ball enough. Its tight ends are missing blocks and dropping passes.
Detailing each of those issues and the consequences they produce results in grim diagnoses of quarterback Baker Mayfield and the Panthers’ offense.
Carolina ranks 31st in offensive DVOA, according to Football Outsiders. The Panthers are eight percentage points ahead of the Colts’ 32nd-ranked offense.
The Panthers are last in plays run per game at just 52. The Bears are 31st (54.8), Tennessee ranks 30th (55) and Miami is 29th (56.8). Arizona, who beat Carolina 26-16 on Sunday at Bank of America Stadium, leads the NFL in plays per game with 73. The Bengals are second (72.5). The Jets rank third (72.3). Washington is fourth (71.8) and the Eagles are fifth (71.3).
Carolina is last in total yardage gained. The Panthers rank 32nd in third-down conversion percentage and last in first downs. Pick an offensive metric, scroll to the bottom and you’ll find Carolina.
“I was brought in here to make an impact. And it hasn’t happened yet,” offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo said. “Now, that doesn’t mean we’re discouraged. We’re four games in.”
Losers of three of their first four games, the Panthers have played well enough on defense and special teams to win. Their lone victory came via a defensive touchdown and a blocked field-goal try.
But the defense cannot and should not have to carry the Panthers any further.
“It’s time for our offense to actually play well,” Mayfield said on Wednesday. “Instead of just relying on our defense and special teams to save us and bail us out.”
If Mayfield is correct then the Panthers’ offense must play well against the NFL’s No. 1-ranked defense. The San Francisco 49ers rank No. 1 in defensive DVOA, according to Football Outsiders. Head coach Kyle Shanahan and defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans deploy a monstrous defense predicated on effectively rushing the quarterback with four defenders and dropping seven players into coverage.
It’s working as edge rusher Nick Bosa leads the NFL with six sacks. The team has 15 sacks, seven of which came in a 24-9 beatdown of the Rams on Monday night. Bosa notched 14 pressures on quarterback Matt Stafford. The 49ers are allowing an NFL-low 3.8 yards per play.
That is a lot for Carolina to overcome. But McAdoo said the team has a plan to combat the 49ers’ elite defensive line.
“There’s a combination of things you can do,” he said. “Whether you try to help, or try to spit the ball out, or try to run the ball.”
Running the ball is a good idea. The Panthers are successful at that. Running back Christian McCaffrey practiced fully on Thursday, a positive sign his thigh injury from last week is better. But Carolina won’t beat San Francisco playing a one-dimensional offense.
“Spit the ball out” means throw it quickly, which has. been a problem for Mayfield. He had five batted passes against Arizona. He leads the league with 11. The next closest quarterback has eight.
“That’s something that we are diving into. We’re studying it,” McAdoo said. “Each one has its own reason for it happening, but it’s not all the same reason. ... Anything that starts to happen in this league that shows up as repetitive, other teams try to incorporate it. It’s a copycat league.”
Expect the 49ers’ pass rush to jump up for Mayfield passes, if they are not pressuring him already.
Coach Matt Rhule and starters across the offense, believe the issues killing the Panthers will be fixed.
“I’m in the meetings,” McCaffrey said on Wednesday. “Bad football is not being coached.”
McAdoo agrees.
“There are flashes, whether it’s in a game or whether it’s in practice of it looking really good,” McAdoo said. “Then there are flashes where it doesn’t look the way we want it to look. In this league, you have to keep working to minimize the flashes of the things that don’t look the way you don’t want them to look. And you do that with consistency.”
The flashes are there. But they disappear via batted passes, fumbled reverses and thrid-down tight end drops. McAdoo said the offense’s woes are not all Mayfield’s fault.
“Baker doesn’t get enough credit for what he’s been able to do. He’s come in here and learned a new system that he’s never been involved in,” McAdoo said. “He keeps getting better at practice. We just need to keep working and carry that over to the games.”
This story was originally published October 6, 2022 at 5:46 PM.
