The Carolina Panthers are set to begin their 2020 season on Sunday.
This team is radically different on paper than the one we last saw take the field in December against the New Orleans Saints. With a new coaching staff, a different starting quarterback and a remodeled offensive line, there are tons of questions about how this unproven group will perform.
Here are four of the most important questions about the offense heading into this season.
Can they protect Teddy Bridgewater?
The last guy who held Teddy Bridgewater’s job took some serious physical punishment during his nine-year run with the team. Contrary to popular opinion, it’s not because Cam Newton is a running quarterback. Most of the hits he took over the years were due to poor playcalling and frequently-atrocious pass protection.
One thing we know about Bridgewater’s game is that he exels at making quick reads and getting rid of the ball. That should help cut into the team’s allowed sack total. Last season that number was 58, tied with the Dolphins for the most in the NFL.
Bridgewater also needs his offensive linem to help keep him upright, though.
The Panthers have two above-average starting offensive tackles in Russell Okung and Taylor Moton. They should be able to keep Teddy clean from most edge rushers. However, the rest of the line is far from reliable. Center Matt Paradis was a major liability in pass blocking last season and the guard rotation has been downgraded following the loss of Trai Turner.
A lot of factors will go into how much pressure Bridgewater has to deal with, but improving in pass protection is at the top of that list. Offensive line coach Pat Meyer hasn’t been given much to work with on the interior. He needs to find a solution, though.
If he can’t and Bridgewater winds up running for his life the way Deshaun Watson did last night against the Chiefs it will keep a low ceiling on a potentially explosive passing attack.
What’s the right balance between run/pass?
Under previous head coach Ron Rivera, the Panthers had a defense-first and ball-control kind of identity. We don’t know yet what philosophy Matt Rhule and his staff will be bringing in, but one of the most important questions they have to figure out is how to find the right balance between running and passing.
The numbers are pretty unequivocal in this regard. Unless you have an absolutely awful quarterback, passing is more efficient than running and offensive coordinator Joe Brady should embrace an aggressive game-plan, especially on early downs.
That said, you have to work with what you have and the team’s most talented player is their starting running back. Christian McCaffrey is a special athlete and needs to be heavily-involved in this scheme for it to be successful. Brady needs to figure out the right balance of utilizing McCaffrey’s prodigious talent and taking advantage of his fast, potent receiver corps.
Do they need another tight end?
While Brady has a great group of pass catchers at his disposal, the weakest spot on offense is easily tight end. In the absence of Greg Olsen, the Panthers will likely find it difficult to manufacture much production from this position.
Ian Thomas is the best pass-catching tight end on the team, but his drop rate has been too high to justify giving him a significant role on offense as of yet. It says a lot that Chris Manhertz is listed as the No. 1 tight end on the team’s first official depth chart.
Manhertz is a sensational blocker – arguably one of the best in the league. However, he’s not a true receiver and trying to turn him into one is foolish. Having a weapon at this spot can open up a lot of possibilities for any offense. We’ll find out fast if Marty Hurney needs to add another one.
What’s the right role for Curtis Samuel?
Curtis Samuel is entering his fourth season in the NFL. So far, his career has been defined by occasional flashes of brilliance but unfulfilled possibilities. Most of that has not been Samuel’s fault.
First, his rookie season was cut short due to medical issues and injuries, then Cam Newton got injured, then last year backups like Kyle Allen and Will Grier couldn’t find a rhythm with him. Samuel had one of the NFL’s highest uncatchable ball rates in 2019.
Add it all up and you have a seriously underrated playmaker who is still waiting on a true breakout campaign. Hopefully Brady’s scheme will finally unleash Samule’s potential. The question is what the right role is for him.
At Ohio State, Samuel was frequently used as a rusher as well as a receiver. In Carolina, he’s mostly been used as a field stretcher and he’s only seen 31 carries despite averaging an impressive nine yards per attempt. With Robby Anderson joining the team we should expect him to take over running many of those low-percentage, high-reward kind of routes that Samuel has been the last few years.
Brady shouldn’t be afraid to use Samuel in new ways and move him closer to the line of scrimmage to take advantage of his quickness. If he can finally get Samuel posting the kinds of numbers he’s capable of, it will be an overwhelmingly positive sign for this unit’s future.
