Panthers defense needs to bounce back from a historically bad performance

The Panthers defense needs to bounce back from a historically bad performance.

Welp.

That’s really all there is to say about the Panthers defensive performance in Pittsburgh last week. The Steelers starting offense scored on every drive that wasn’t cut short by halftime. They averaged 7.9 yards per play and converted eight of eleven 3rd down tries. The Panthers defense got one (1) sack and no one died. That pretty much covers all the positives.

Fortunately, the Detroit Lions aren’t as good as the Steelers. They’ve lost three straight games and mustered only 45 total points during that stretch while averaging 282 yards per game and turning the ball over seven times. Quarterback Matthew Stafford’s passer rating has declined each of those weeks, ending his streak of five straight games with a passer rating over 100.

Things don’t appear to be looking up for the Lions either. Wide receiver Marvin Jones Jr. is yet to practice this week as he deals with a bone bruise in his knee and his status for the game on Sunday is in doubt. If he misses the game, he’ll join starting right guard T.J. Lang on the out list. The former Pro Bowler was recently been placed on injured reserve with a neck injury, which is very bad news for a struggling offensive line. That brings us to our keys:

• Capitalize on the Lions offensive line woes. As mentioned literally two sentences ago, T.J. Lang is out, and he’s been arguably the group’s best performer. Matthew Stafford has been sacked 16 times in the last two weeks. The Panthers are one of the best teams at getting off blocks quickly in the passing game, and the Lions provide the perfect opportunity to parlay that into sacks.
• Contain the check downs. The departure of Golden Tate has opened the door for running backs Theo Riddick and Kerryon Johnson to become more involved in the passing game. The duo has combined to catch 22 of 26 targets for 141 yards in the two games since Tate was traded to the Eagles. With the Lions struggling so much in pass protection, offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter could look to the backfield for outlet passes early and often.
• Stay focused and stay disciplined. Coming off a performance as dreadful as the one this defense put on last week, it’s easy for guys to get caught trying to do too much and getting out of position. Everyone needs to play their role and trust that their teammates will do theirs. On top of that, the cancellation of practice today is one of those seemingly minor inconveniences that somehow manages to throw the Panthers completely off their game. The schedule down the stretch is tough. The Panthers need to stay locked in and pick up some wins while the schedule is lighter.

At the very worst, things can’t go more poorly than last week, right? The Lions offense is ailing, and the Panthers defense should be hungry to prove that last week was just a hiccup.

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