Keys to the Game: Cardinals at Panthers

A closer look at the keys to Carolina's Week 4 matchup.

Heading into Sunday's matchup against the Arizona Cardinals, the Panthers find themselves playing against an opponent they have seen a lot of success against over the years. Including the playoffs, the Panthers are 14-5 all-time against the Cardinals, they're second-best winning percentage against any team in the NFL. That success has been ever more visible over the last six matchups, where the Panthers are a perfect 6-0 with all wins coming by double digits.

Here's what the Panthers need to do on Sunday to keep the success coming against Arizona:

Bring down the tempo to a snail’s pace

The near league-worst Panthers offense gets a matchup against arguably the worst defense in the league so far. The Cardinals are near the bottom of the league against the quarterback by just about every metric this season, and the pass rush has been next to non-existent totaling just 2 sacks. Absolutely perfect for a team that didn't crack 100 passing yards until the 4th quarter in the only win of the season thus far. 

The Arizona offense is banged up (Hopkins suspended; AJ Green out; Hollywood Brown, Greg Dortch, Rondale Moore, James Conner, Justin Pugh, and Rodney Hudson all limited this week), and the Panthers once again find themselves facing an opponent at an opportune time. 

The Panthers need to keep the possession count low for the Cardinals and focus on staying ahead of the chains to keep the Arizona defense on the field. If they can succeed in an NFL-styled version of "keep away", there shouldn't be much the Cardinals can do to stop it. 

Now obviously that task is easier said than done for a team helmed by Baker Mayfield bringing in an injured Christian McCaffrey of their own, but this is a good chance for D'Onta Foreman and Chuba Hubbard to build their first real rhythm of the season whether they are spelling or replacing CMC this weekend. 

Take advantage of available versatility

Whether or not Christian McCaffrey plays this weekend, the Panthers need to figure out how to unlock someone else other than him. CMC has been the lone bright spot for an otherwise inefficient and out-of-sync offense and has yet to figure out how to consistently unlock the playmaking prowess of some of Mayfield's other weapons- namely DJ Moore.

Moore has totaled only 7 receptions for 88 yards on the season. For context, Laviska Shenault- who made his debut for the Panthers last week- has more yardage on the season on just two registered catches.

The bottom line is that DJ Moore and Baker Mayfield have shown absolutely no ability to work efficiently thus far. Moore is not a receiver who creates fantastic separation on his own, and Mayfield is not a quarterback with the confidence to consistently throw the ball into tight spaces. 

The aforementioned Shenault, whose touchdown was one of the key factors in last week's win, doesn't have a ton of NFL experience as a top playmaker but should have tons of opportunities coming to him as the team tries to find their identity.  Both he and Moore offer plenty of versatility as route runners and ball carriers, and those strengths need to be tapped into.

Getting one of the team's top playmakers going is not going to be easy. It is going to require creativity and intentionality we frankly haven't seen from Ben McAdoo yet. If this offense is going to be playing meaningful football later this season though, this is pretty much the only path to getting there.

Keep Kyler in the pocket

If there is one place the Cardinals' offense could make life difficult for Carolina, it is the versatility of their QB. Murray has been one of the most dynamic players in the NFL since he came into the league and has the potential to make a highlight real play at any time. 

In 2022, though, the Cardinals are averaging just 5.5 yards per pass attempt- the lowest mark in the NFL. Combined with the fact that Murray is averaging just over 21 yards per game on the ground, the offense has been very stoppable this season. The only way this game should get out of hand for Phil Snow's defense is if Kyler were to go absolutely bonkers on the ground and improvise his way to a strong day. 

Focusing on the QB contain, keeping whatever receivers are healthy enough to take the field in front of them, and making the play calling become the key to Arizona's success are the best ways for this Panthers defense to anchor a second straight win.

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