Panthers vs Lions: Offensive preview

A struggling Panthers offense takes on a surging Lions defense.

The Carolina Panthers offense has been a repeating series of train wrecks this season. The same problems have been manifesting themselves every game, and it’s quickly becoming tiresome to watch. Last week, they took on a Vikings defense that had put up little resistance to opposing offenses through the first three weeks of the season. Despite the cushy matchup in the friendly confines of Bank of America Stadium, the Panthers offense failed to reach the endzone and only mustered six points.

Bryce Young had a career high 204 yards passing and completed 78% of his attempts, but the offense was still clunky and predictable. The run game was a drag on the offense and only mustered 2.7 yards per carry.

This week’s opponent is a Lions team that’s garnered more attention for its offensive prowess, but the defense is quietly coming into its own as well. They’ve registered 12 sacks and allowed just 26 points in the last two games. They’re coming off a Thursday night win in Lambeau Field where they limited the Packers offense to just 230 yards.

It’ll be a tough battle for the Panthers offense. Here’s what they’ll need to do to succeed.

• Try to avoid third downs. The Panthers have been mind numbingly conservative with Bryce Young at quarterback this season. They finished last week’s game against the Vikings with a near 50/50 split of runs to passes despite the ineffectiveness of the run game. It’s setting up a lot of mid to long range third downs, and the Panthers are struggling to convert them. The Panthers have converted 33.3% of their third downs with Young at the helm, which would be good for 27th in the league. Meanwhile, the Lions defense has been pretty good at getting off the field on third downs, ranking 11th in the league in that regard.
• Take some shots. In conjunction with avoiding third downs, the Panthers should try to pick up some chunks. The offense has been very predictable. It’s run and bubble screen heavy on early downs with crossers in the middle of the field reserved for some third downs. But we still see a fair amount of bubble screens on third downs, like the one where Young turned away in visible frustration as he released a quick hitter to Terrace Marshall that went for one yard on 3rd and 7 (I can’t find the clip right now).

14 of Young’s 32 pass attempts were at or behind the line of scrimmage. Not a single ball was thrown for than 20 yards down the field, and only one was thrown more than 15 yards down the field. His average intended air yards of 5.2 yards per pass is the lowest in the league. It’s not good.

• Protect Bryce Young from Aidan Hutchinson. For the Panthers to push the ball down the field, they need to give Young time. He’s held the ball too long at times, but he’s also facing a good amount of pressure quickly in his drop backs. He was sacked five times by a Vikings defense that was previously devoid of a pass rush outside of Danielle Hunter. Aidan Hutchinson is this week’s villain. He has 3.5 sacks in the last two weeks and the Lions have been moving him all around the line. The Panthers need to have a plan for how they are going to handle him no matter where he is at the snap.