New York Giants Week 2: First Look at Panthers’ Offense

Let's get to know the key names on the Carolina Panthers offense ahead of their Week 2 visit to the Giants.

SI Editorial | Sep 14, 2022

New York Giants Week 2: First Look at Panthers’ Offense /

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Last Sunday, the New York Giants upset the Tennessee Titans, 21-20, to open their 2022 regular season and officially usher in the Brian Daboll head coaching era. By no means was it a pretty performance, but in the end, a few players left their mark on the field, and the Giants left with their first season-opening victory since the 2016 season.

Now, the team gets to return home to something sweeter: being back in East Rutherford with their faithful fans for their home opener against the Carolina Panthers (0-1).

Head coach Brian Daboll is excited about the home opener. "This has been a great spot for me, and I know for the coaches and our families and the people around this community, and I understand how important New York football Giants are to many people around here," he said Wednesday.

"They're important to us, too. I've come across many great people in this community and had some really good conversations. And I'm looking forward to being on this sideline where it's always cool as a coach, you pull up to the parking lots, and you get a sense even before you go into the game of what kind of day the fans are gonna have. I love our fan base. I love the support."

The Giants are no doubt hoping this Sunday's meeting against the Panthers will be as good if not better than the last one. Last season, the Giants had one of their rare dominating performances on both sides of the ball, holding the Panthers offense to 173 yards of total offense en route to a 25-3 win.

Yet, this is not the same Panthers team of 2021. Like the Giants, Carolina made changes to their roster, notably with the acquisition of quarterback Baker Mayfield in the offseason. Star running back Christian McCaffrey is also back from injuries and looking to return to his old form when he was considered one of the best rushers in the entire league.

The Panthers are coming off an abysmal 2021 campaign for the offense, which ranked 29th and 30th overall in points per contest and total yards last year, respectively. Among their areas of needed improvement is the passing attack, which finished 29th in yards (3,329), 32nd in yards per attempt (5.0), and 31st in passing touchdowns (14).

The trade for Mayfield should help the Panthers in that department, considering the new quarterback comes over after having a 3,000-yard and 17-touchdown season that helped the Browns rank 20th overall offensively and 10th in red zone percentage (62 percent).

If McCaffrey can stay healthy--and that’s a massive “if” given his struggles to stay on the field the last two years--he’ll also look to bolster a Panthers rushing game that finished with the 13th-most touchdowns in the NFL in 2021. The No. 8 overall pick in the 2017 draft will be vital to the success of the offensive department that carried more of the load for the team last year.

Nevertheless, the Panthers' offense needs to show improvement in Matt Rhule’s third season as head coach and more competitiveness in a division (NFC South) they haven’t claimed since their Super Bowl season in 2015. The sound of another 5-win season could push owner David Tepper over the edge regarding his big-money head coach, and that could mean even more change in a franchise longing for stability.

Let's get to know more of the key faces on the Panthers' offense.

Quarterback

On July 6, the Carolina Panthers agreed to a deal with the Cleveland Browns to acquire quarterback Baker Mayfield in exchange for a conditional fifth-round pick. Mayfield and fellow first-round pick Sam Darnold were given a chance to compete for the starting job.

Ultimately head coach Matt Rhule determined it was Mayfield’s job while Darnold suffered a high ankle sprain late in the preseason.

Since entering the league in 2018, Mayfield has been one of the most watched quarterbacks in the NFL. With his draft standing and personality, the Oklahoma product was expected to lead the Browns out of the doldrums, and for some time, it looked like he would.

Over four seasons with Cleveland, Mayfield compiled 1,185 completions for 14,125 yards, 92 touchdowns, and a passer rating of 87.8. He was prone to turning the ball over and being sacked, tossing 56 picks and taking 134 sacks over the same time period.

In the 2020 season, Mayfield had his best campaign, and it felt like he was becoming the long-term answer at quarterback the Browns lacked for years. He led the Browns to an 11-5 season, the best mark of his career, and compiled 4.030 yards, 30 touchdowns, and nine interceptions before appearing in the team’s first playoff berth since 2002 and first postseason win since 1994.

The following year, Mayfield’s contract was extended with the exercising of his fifth-year option, indicating that the Browns were at least preparing to buy into a long-term partnership. However, in the 2021 season, Mayfield played with repetitive injuries (he missed four starts), and the Browns' record declined to 6-8 despite Mayfield throwing over 3,000 yards and 17 touchdowns.

Sep 11, 2022; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) after the game at Bank of America Stadium / Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

After the season ended, the Browns decided to trade for former Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson, who received a fully guaranteed $230 million contract extension. The trade marked the end of the Mayfield era in Cleveland, and he'll get a fresh start with the Panthers this year.

In his official Panthers debut, Mayfield failed to get revenge on his former team but finished with a respectable performance, tallying 235 passing yards, a touchdown, and an interception in a 26-24 loss.

Like the Titans' Ryan Tannehill, Mayfield will challenge the Giants defense with his versatile talents. He tends to thrive in play-action schemes, where he does a good job at faking the handoff, finding open space in the pocket, and remaining patient until the play develops. His arm is strong, and he boasts one of the cleaner and more accurate throws of any quarterback in the league.

Don’t discount his legs, either. Mayfield will not second-guess taking off with the football and encouraging contact, especially if it means pushing the envelope and getting his team a fresh set of downs or scoring position. He has accumulated 577 rushing yards through five seasons, an average of 3.5 yards per carry, and six touchdowns.

Running Backs

The name that will be on everyone's lips this Sunday is Christian McCaffrey, the sixth-year Pro whom the Panthers hope has finally put his injury woes behind him.

McCaffrey played in just ten games over the last two seasons, but he's finally healthy and looking to pick up where he left off in 2019 when he logged his second straight 1,000-yard rushing season and his first season in which he had 1,000 yards rushing and receiving.

Jul 28, 2022; Spartanburg, SC, USA; Carolina Panthers running back Christian McAffrey (22) dons his helmet during the second day of training camp at Wofford College / Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

Last week, the Browns found a way to stifle McCaffrey, holding him to 33 yards on ten carries, one touchdown on the ground, and 24 receiving yards on four receptions. McCaffrey versus the Giants inside linebackers, who struggled last week in coverage, promises to be a pivotal battle between the two clubs.

"Obviously he doesn't have the size (like the Titans Derrick Henry), but he's a hard player to cover," said Daboll of the challenges McCaffrey poses. "He's very, very good in space. He can take it to the distance anytime he touches the ball. They can line him up at 1, 2, or 3 in the backfield.

"He can break tackles, and he's he's very athletic. He's a unique player in the fact that he can do a lot of things playing that running back position, but he can also do 'em on the perimeter if they choose to use him there."

Behind McCaffreyare D’onta Foreman and Chuba Hubbard. Foreman came as an unrestricted free agent from Tennessee, while Hubbard, in relief of McCaffrey last year, is coming off a 612-yard rushing season (on 172 carries), five touchdowns, and 174 receiving yards on 25 receptions with one touchdown.

Wide Receivers

D.J. Moore is coming off his third consecutive 1,000-yard receiving campaign in which he's recorded at least 1,100 yards and four touchdowns. Moore, now in his fifth NFL season, has an excellent combination of size and speed but has had issues with dropped passes (25) over his career, including a career-high nine last season.

Jul 28, 2022; Spartanburg, SC, USA; Carolina Panthers wide receiver D.J. Moore (2) during the third day of training camp at Wofford College / Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

The Panthers acquired Laviska Shenault Jr before the start of the season, but he was a healthy scratch last week against the Cleveland Browns. Shenault, 6-foot-1 and 227 pounds, was a 2020 second-round pick (42nd overall) by the Jaguars, who logged 212 passes for 1,219 yards and five touchdowns during his two seasons in Jacksonville.

Former Jet receiver Robbie Anderson, now in his third season with Carolina, is another potential target the Giants will have to deal with. Anderson has a career catch percentage of 58.9 percent, and his yards per reception has dipped with the Panthers versus his days with the Jets.

Still, Anderson is a smart veteran with some moves that will test the Giants' young defensive secondary, which will be missing starter Aaron Robinson this week.

Second-year man Shi Smith is the Panthers' primary slot receiver. Still searching for his first NFL receiving touchdown, Smith played in six games last season, catching six of 11 targets for 104 yards.

Smith played in over 75 percent of the Panthers' snaps against the Browns as he's in line for a much bigger role in the revamped offense run by former Giants head coach Ben McAdoo, now the Panthers' offensive coordinator.

Tight Ends

At the tight end position, the Panthers use their players in a mix of 11- and 12-man personnel, and the headliner of those players is Ian Thomas.

Sep 11, 2022; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers tight end Ian Thomas (80) is introduced before the game at Bank of America Stadium / Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Thomas is a five-year vet who is the Panthers' fourth-round draft pick from 2018. At 6-foot-4 and 260 pounds, he can line up in 12-personnel and protect the edge for Christian McCaffrey, but his contributions go beyond that.

The 26-year-old from Indiana is the Panthers top catching tight end of the group. However, his career numbers--92 receptions for 855 yards (average 9.4 yards per reception) and four touchdowns, with four of his seasons ending under 200 yards receiving--aren't eye-popping.

Thomas's best season was his rookie campaign when he notched 36 receptions for 333 yards (9.3 average) and two touchdowns. He might not be flashy, but he can get down the field with the best of them.

When not engaged in blocking at the line of scrimmage, the Panthers like to deploy Thomas in the slot receiver position, sometimes in bunch packages that can confuse the defense and lead to an open opportunity for the tight end in the middle of the field.

In addition, Thomas has good speed and footwork for a player of his position and size. If he’s lined up on the outside, he can plant his outside foot and cut back towards the middle for a slant pass or shift and reverse and head back for the flat. Once the ball is in his hands, Thomas gets straight upfield and fights contact for extra yardage.

By no means is Thomas the same kind of threat as Austin Hooper in Tennessee, but he can sneak up on a defense if they don't pay enough attention to him.

Offensive Line

This week, the Giants will get an up-close look at one of the young names they reportedly coveted during the scouting and draft process.

That would be Panthers left tackle Ikem Ekwonu, the sixth overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft. The Panthers wasted no time throwing Ekwonu into the thick of things on their starting offensive line, but the rookie's first regular-season NFL game was bumpy.

Sep 11, 2022; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers offensive tackle Ikem Ekwonu (79) before the game at Bank of America Stadium / Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

According to Pro Football Focus, Ekwonu gave up a team-worst four quarterback pressures, two of which were sacks, last week against the Browns. That said, Ekwonu has a lot of promise but needs some refinement to his technique and overall game.

The Panthers' revamped offensive line also includes center Pat Elflein comes over from the Jets, for whom he started six games last year at guard, and Austin Corbett joins the team after spending the last three years with the Rams, with whom he won a Super Bowl.

Rookie Brady Christiansen, chosen in the third round of this year's draft, beat out veteran Michael Jordan for the starting left guard spot. Right tackle Taylor Moton, Carolina's second-round pick in 2017, is the longest-tenured member of the Panthers' starting offensive line. Moton has also been the offensive line's rock, having never missed a game in his pro career.