As the confetti fell on the field celebrating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ victory Sunday, the Carolina Panthers’ social media team put out a graphic with four players — running back Christian McCaffrey, defensive end Brian Burns and wide receivers Robby Anderson and DJ Moore — surrounding “2021.” The caption read, “Let’s get to it” with a fist emoji.
The internet tends to read into such images, as Panthers fans did with the picture, noting quickly how quarterback Teddy Bridgewater was not among the four depicted.
The focus when it comes to Carolina, thus far in this young offseason, has been the quarterback position and Bridgewater’s future. And for good reason. The Panthers are one of several teams who are, at the minimum, trying to make a change at the most important position and are searching for the long-term answer.
But unlike some of the other teams vying for a starting quarterback, Carolina is not a player away from winning the big game. Far from it. The lessons to be learned are less related to following the Buccaneers’ blueprint and more closely tied to the Chiefs’ cautionary tale.
Plugging in Deshaun Watson would surely make any team more competitive, but he is coming off a 4-12 season during which he was sacked 49 times. It takes more than a quarterback. Depth is important, and having a dominant and versatile offensive line is key to an explosive offense. This extends far beyond the Panthers.
The Kansas City Chiefs’ losing effort Sunday night occurred for a variety of reasons. A lack of adjustments and an ineffective game plan played prominent roles. It was also a reminder of the importance of investing in the players that are protecting the quarterback and their backups. A deeper offensive line may not have saved Kansas City, but it sure would have helped.
Arguably the league’s top young quarterback, Mahomes, was forced to scramble soon after the ball was snapped over and over again. He finished the game 26 of 49 for 270 yards with two interceptions and a 52.3 passer rating — the lowest of his career.
Per ESPN Stats and Info, Mahomes was pressured on 29 of 56 dropbacks, the most of any quarterback in Super Bowl history. The Buccaneers sent extra pass rushers on just two of those plays.
He was under pressure in 2.5 seconds or less 43% of the time (24 plays), per Pro Football Focus. Mahomes accumulated 497 yards scrambling prior to throwing the ball or being sacked, according to Next Gen Stats. It was the most scramble yards in a game by any quarterback since 2016.
“I just don’t think we were on the same page as an offense in general,” Mahomes said after the game. “I wasn’t getting the ball out on time, the receivers were running routes to not where I thought they were going to be at and the offensive line, they did good sometimes and sometimes they let guys through.
“When you play a good defense like that, you got to be on the same page as the offense and we weren’t today and that’s why we played so bad.”
Credit goes to the Buccaneers defense. Coordinator Todd Bowles had an impressive plan for the Chiefs offense and Tampa Bay executed all over the field from the defensive line to linebackers to the secondary. The Chiefs’ line was a weak spot going into the game and the Bucs’ exploited it. The Panthers will get to see that defense, which does have a few prominent upcoming free agents like outside linebacker Shaquil Barrett, twice next year.
The Chiefs also suffered from drops in the passing game. But down to two backup offensive linemen, and with four different linemen from what was expected prior to the season, the offense was severely impacted.
This was a Kansas City offense with one of the best tight ends in NFL history, a dynamic receiver and a solid running back. But there’s never a bad time for a reminder that success starts with winning the battle in the trenches.
Four of five Panthers starting offensive linemen are scheduled to become free agents in March. The depth at the position group beyond those players is unsettled. It does not matter who is playing quarterback. Carolina’s offensive line being a question mark, not only for next year but for seasons to come, is a major concern.
There are uncertainties surrounding whether the left tackle of the future is on the roster in either Dennis Daley or Greg Little, both 2019 draft picks, or possibly restricted free agent Trent Scott, who filled in well in 2020. Right tackle Taylor Moton is due to get big money somewhere and there is no obvious long-term answer at either guard position.
The only starting offensive lineman under contract is center Matt Paradis, who is 31-years old and scheduled to be a free agent in 2022. He even has the potential of being cut this offseason, which would save the Panthers almost $5 million, per Spotrac.
How does Carolina go about fixing the issue?
“As we enter the draft, we just have to infuse a little bit of youth onto the offensive side,” Panthers coach Matt Rhule said during his end-of-season press conference.
Drafting versatile linemen should be a priority this offseason, as well as bringing back a couple of veterans, such as guard John Miller and Michael Schofield, who played multiple positions in 2020, to shore up the depth of the line. Flexibility on the line is important.
Making an effort to re-sign Moton is and should be high on the list with the franchise tag an option. The right tackle has played at least 99% of offensive snaps in each of the last three seasons and is coming off his best year yet. It may come at a cost to other positions, but getting the two lines right is important. The Panthers invested a first- and second-round pick into the defensive line last year, the first draft under Rhule. The offensive side should be next.
It’s not quite as flashy to talk and write about offensive line needs, but the success of Christian McCaffrey and whoever is playing quarterback depends on it.
