San Francisco 49ers vs. Carolina Panthers: Three Ups and Three Downs
The Panthers are the freshest they will be for a long time after their bye week. They now face up to an eleven game schedule that will define the future direction of this franchise. No team wants to be winless at this point in an NFL season. The Panthers haven’t been perfect by any means, but there are positives to be taken from their performances.
This Sunday sees the San Francisco 49ers (1-5) visiting Bank of America Stadium, a team who similarly has had their fair share of critics recently. Like the Panthers, Mike Singletary’s team will not quit despite their poor start. Most so-called experts will pass over this game as an afterthought, a duel between two teams destined to have top ten draft picks and more questions than answers in the long term.
I beg to differ.
I expect a physical contest and a very close game. Here are the three ups and three downs for the Panthers coming off their bye week.
Up #1: Less Is Moore
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Matt Moore returns to action as the Carolina Panthers starting quarterback this Sunday after what was a forgettable first two games of the season. In each of the two losses to the Giants and the Buccaneers, the offensive line gave up four sacks, but Moore has to take the blame and be accountable for his poor decision making in those games.
Moore doesn’t need to be a hero for this offense – he simply needs to keep the offense on schedule. His aim going into Sunday should be to not turn the ball over, take the initiative to audible out of bad plays and take what the defense is giving him. Less is more for the Panthers offense right now. Self destruction is not an option, and I believe Moore will provide the stability that we have been lacking in recent games.
Up #2: No. 89 Is In The Building
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Steve Smith’s miraculous recovery from the high ankle sprain that was supposed to keep him out 3-4 weeks is a massive shot in the arm for a Panthers offense ranked last in the league in every offensive category that matters.
The team needs a fiery competitor like Smith on the field to get you those yards that you have no right getting. Smith will see a lot of attention from the 49ers defense, but Moore should be able to spread the ball around and go through his reads better than Clausen. Jeff Davidson must have a game plan in place to get Smith the ball in more creative ways than we have seen this year so far.
Up #3: Nothing To Lose
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This can hardly be counted as a firm positive for the team, but in a strange way it is. When you’re winless, you go into each week free and easy, having fun on the football field. The burden of having lost games is still on you, but the Panthers have to approach this eleven game stretch like it is a new season for them. The team has plenty of winnable games ahead of them if they only stop shooting themselves in the foot. Play hard, play loose and play together and good things will happen.
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Down #1: Offensive Line Woes
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I am concerned by the right side of the offensive line in pass protection, and until they prove otherwise I will continue to be concerned. The 49ers 3-4 defense is one that the Panthers don’t practice a lot against and it will present a new set of challenges in terms of blocking assignments and offensive schemes.
The offensive line needs to show me something in this game. They need to come out and make a statement with their blocking, especially in the running game, from the beginning.
Down #2: Could the Real Jonathan Stewart Please Stand Up?
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This harps back to the offensive line somewhat, but it is also an indictment of Stewart’s play this season. He has had a few carries that got me to the edge of my seat, and I have no doubt that he still has the ability to power through defenders arm tackles and make people miss, but I just haven’t seen the consistency that I expect from the former first round pick.
Stewart hasn’t been given the necessary attempts to get up to speed, but I would like to see him make more of the attempts he does get against the Niners.
Down #3: Take Your Time, There's No Rush
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Perhaps the single most disappointing aspect of the Panthers defensive displays this year has been the pass rush, or lack thereof. Panther fans have been questioning where the pass rush would come from since the departure of Julius Peppers, the franchise’s all time sacks leader.
In truth, that question has not yet been answered by the current defensive line. We have seen promise from the likes of Greg Hardy and Derek Landri, and big Ed Johnson is proving to be a terrific run stuffer, but this unit needs to get to the QB and even if they don’t register sacks, they need to force quick passes and get their hands up to block passes down. 49ers quarterback Alex Smith is a terrific player when it comes to breaking the pocket and running, so the defensive line will have to keep that in mind as they rush upfield.
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