OVER THE COURSE of this week, we’ll be taking a closer look at both the Carolina Panthers and Denver Broncos and their strengths and weaknesses across offence, defence and special teams in the run up to Super Bowl 50.
Today, we deal with the Carolina Panthers defence.
You can read the rest of the series here.
What they do well
Use their linebackers in zone coverage
It almost goes without saying that Luke Kuechly is the best coverage linebacker in the NFL and the Panthers use him in a way to suits his skill-set perfectly.
Over the course of 2015, the former Boston College man has 137 combined tackles (9.1) per game, eight runs stuffed behind the line of scrimmage and a league-leading (for his position) 13 passes deflected and six interceptions (including three for touchdowns).
For this interception against the Cowboys — and he followed it up with another pick on the very next Dallas play – Kuechly (59) showed not just his athletic ability but his knowledge of the game.
With the Panthers lined-up in their much-loved Tampa 2 — you can read more about that here — his role as linebacker’s is to follow tight end Jason Witten up the seam. However, as he watches the play develop he understand what Dallas are trying to do against the zone and passes Witten off to safety Roman Harper before jumping the dig-route taken by Terrance Williams for the interception.
A few blocks later and he’s into the endzone for the pick six. He has two such plays in his last two games too, what money on him making it three in a row?
What they could do better
Avoid the long run
We’re nit-picking here but, when you’re dealing with the two best teams in football, you have to look for tiny flaws rather than glaring weaknesses.
The Panthers ranked fourth against the run in the NFL during the regular season as one of four teams giving up less than 90 yards per game on the ground. However, while the rest of the top five averaged only five runs of 20-yards or more over the course of the 16 games, the Panthers gave up 10.
The score above was the only long touchdown run — one of more than 20 yards — Carolina gave up all season but they are susceptible to rushing touchdowns as you have to drop all the way to the 11th ranked Bucs defence to find a team giving up more than the 11 scores the Panthers did on the ground.
This particular score came about as a result of the Panthers rushing five, expecting the pass, and Ryan Mathews hitting the hole perfectly but with CJ Anderson a similar sort of runner to the Eagles players, Carolina need to be careful.
What they need to avoid
Letting the Broncos pick on Robert McClain
While it’s all well and good having one of the league’s best corners in Josh Norman, losing the likes of Charles Tillman and Bené Benwikere in the secondary has really exposed an area of the Panthers’ defence that never worried head coach Ron Rivera before.
While I, and many others, expected Cortland Finnegan to be the problem, it is actually Robert McClain who is the most picked on cornerback in the playoffs so far, giving up 143 yards and two touchdowns according to Pro Football Focus.
Against Carolina in the NFC Championship Game, look how far off Darren Fells McClain (27) plays, allowing Carson Palmer complete a relatively easy 21-yard touchdown pass.
So while Norman is undoubtedly among the league’s elite, he can only cover one player at a time and the Panthers will hope that, whoever ends up covered by McClain — be it Emmanuel Sanders or Demaryius Thomas – doesn’t decide the game.
To say his career in management has been ‘largely unsuccessful’ is incorrect.He did have success at Sunderland.
That’s why I said ‘largely unsuccessful’ rather than ‘entirely unsuccessful’ Eamonn.
To call his management ‘largely unsuccessful ‘ is unfair Paul. He took Sunderland from bottom of the table to win the championship. Success.Then he kept them in the Prem. more success.
Already sick of the Roy Keane stories. I’ve read sweet f**k all about Martin O’Neill who last time I checked, was actually appointed boss, not Keane.
By the way I hope that O’Neill does not start tiptoeing around d**kheads like Stephen Ireland and Darron Gibson, begging them to come play for Ireland. If he puts 11 men out there who replicate the pride, commitment and passion shown by the likes of the Clare and Cork hurlers last month, in every game they play then ill be happy enough. You can’t ask for more than that. Leave the primadonnas at home.
Agreed. Had to laugh at Stephen Ireland being interviewed and saying he’s going to give some consideration to coming back. He hasn’t done anything to merit it since he was playing for City.
Last month, Roy helped his old Forest mate Gary Charles with some coaching at a University of Nottingham football match. I talked to some of the boys – after they got over the shock of Keane walking into their dressing room unannounced, they said he was articulate, obviously enthusiastic about what they were doing, and helpful in his critique. This is just one example of what he’s been doing the last three years; from helping some university players to observing training at Barcelona – he hasn’t just been walking the dogs and working for ITV. He’s been serious about trying to improve his skill set and I suspect he’s had a good old think about where he’s gone wrong in the past in his management style.
Since when does coaching come into international football??? Coaching is done at your club.
Tactics & the motivation are the only thing an international manager (that’s Martin O Neill everyone not Keane, just try remember that) gets to do with the short amount of time with the players……
Good work journo, another nonsense story
Lets take them across the water. Gerrard and Lampard could never play well together as they’ve only ever played one style of football and basically only predominantly for one club.
Coaching them at international level was the only way to get them to change their style of playing. Unfortunately for England it didn’t work. Possibly a good coach may have made it work.
A coach is essential at all levels.
A hotshot…. In precious few days that you have the players, how can you coach them?? Team organisation, tactics & mentally preparing them for an international match should be just scrapped for coaching grown men???
Kids get coached, precessionals listen to tactics
@Kevin: Maybe the lack of success was because they were trying to coach these two top players into a style of football they were both uncomfortable with, rather than having the tactical fluency to play them as they would wish to be played.
People seem to forget Martin O Neill is the manager not Roy Keane
I think your article is very misleading Paul. You are damning his coaching ability by criticising his man management skills. From what I gather he is an intelligent and innovative coach on the training ground whose management career was stifled by issues with the man management rather than the coaching.
I meant ‘coaching style’ in the broader sense of the word, Joseph. Man management can be considered a part of coaching.
Id disagree, man management is part of management, coaching can be a part of management too but would be more widely considered, in the context of British football at any rate, as the work done with players on the training pitch.
Sorry to say that while your articles are normally good I’m afraid you should have given this one a miss, it smacks of Sun type journalism.
FACT: Martin O’Neill is ROI manager
FACT:Roy Keane is his assistant and no doubt part of his coaching staff.
Why is all the talk about Roy and not what Martin brings to the job. From reports I have read, I have no idea one way or the other, O’Neill can be quite tough when he wants to be. So less of the jumping on the Dunphy bandwagon please.