Gerber: Panthers rewind reveals lengthy bye week to-do list
Posted October 18, 2023 5:37 p.m. EDT
Updated October 26, 2023 5:30 p.m. EDT
Quick show of hands: When the Carolina Panthers scored to take a 14-0 lead in Miami on Sunday, how many of you believed it would last?
Yeah, me neither ... but it was fun while it lasted!
For a moment, Carolina didn't look like the worst team in the league. Heck, for one quarter, you could have told me that they were a playoff team.
Of course, giving up 35 straight points directly after that is not ideal ... baby steps, right?
There's no question, the Panthers have a lot to improve on, and some stuff to build on, during their bye week.
A rewind of Sunday's game shows, in no particular order, the team's substantial to-do list:
1. Get back to basics on tackling
The Panthers allowed 162 rushing yards in Week 6.
That's an ugly number to look at, but it's even worse if you watch it back.
Carolina could have easily cut Miami's rushing totals at least in half, if not for a rash of missed tackles.
Raheem Mostert alone was credited with 10 broken tackles on Sunday, averaging an eye-popping 5.82 yards after initial contact.
That's embarrassing, and it's not just a one week problem either.
The Panthers have the highest missed tackle percentage in the league (13.6%), rank 30th in rushing yards allowed per game and 28th in yards allowed per attempt.
Scheming up run blitzes and preaching gap integrity can only take you so far.
Until the defense can rediscover how to get the ball carrier on the ground, the unit is going to continue to struggle.
2. Rebuild Bryce Young's deep ball
Bryce Young has absolutely played better ball since missing Week 3 with an ankle injury.
The rookie has expanded his range to be effective on "intermediate" throws between 10 and 20 yards downfield.
But beyond that? It's a work in progress.
Young has completed one pass on five attempts all season on throws that are 20-plus yards downfield. His lone completion came in garbage time against the Saints and barely crossed that 20-yard threshold.
Against the Dolphins, Young took two deep shots and missed badly on both.
On the first, he over shot D.J. Chark, who was open, by about 5 yards. The throw was both too long and too far outside, so Chark likely would have been out of bounds even if he caught up to it.
The other attempt came on a 4th & 1 in the third quarter. Tight end Hayden Hurst wasn't open this time, but he did have a one-on-one against a cornerback.
An accurate jump ball would have at least given Hurst a chance, but instead, Young sailed it and missed again by about 5 yards.
This problem is strange to me, because Bryce Young was excellent at throwing it deep in college, even in clutch moments.
An off week will hopefully allow the rookie to build more chemistry with Chark and Jonathan Mingo so that the Panthers can stretch the field.
Once Young gets that part of his game dialed in, and connects on one or two of those explosive throws, his game could really take off.
3. Protect Adam Thielen at all costs
The 33-year old receiver has been the Panthers' MVP so far this season. Point blank period.
Through six weeks, Adam Thielen ranks third in the NFL in receptions. He also ranks third among receivers in first downs, trailing only Ja'Marr Chase and Tyreek Hill.
The man is a treasure and must be treated as such.
Need a little extra time on your massage? You got it.
Feeling a bit tired and don't want to run these wind sprints today? No problem.
Want an extra mid-season bonus? We got you, Adam.
Anything Thielen needs to stay happy and healthy should be a priority for the Panthers in the bye week.
Just think of where the offense (and Bryce Young's stats) would be without him!
4. Start Chuba Hubbard and Tommy Tremble
Carolina spent quite a bit of money in free agency trying to upgrade at running back in tight end. But as it turns out, they probably didn't need to do that.
Chuba Hubbard and Tommy Tremble have flat out been better than their counterparts, Miles Sanders and Hayden Hurst, so far this season.
Hubbard has run with more tenacity and explosiveness than Sanders while, crucially, not fumbling the ball.
According to NFL Next Gen Stats, Hubbard has gained 29 yards over expected this season and ranks as one of the 10 most efficient running backs in the league.
Sanders, meanwhile, ranks among the least efficient and has 44 yards under expected. Isn't it nice when the stats back up what your eyes are telling you?
At tight end, Hurst has basically been a non-factor since a solid showing in Week 1. Over the last two weeks, the former first round pick has just four catches for 37 yards and no touchdowns.
In that same time frame, Tommy Tremble -- known as the better blocker of the two -- has three catches for 26 yards, one touchdown, and one pretty sweet hurdle that I could never imagine Hurst pulling off.
If your "receiving" tight end is giving you basically the same production (and fewer highlights) as your "blocking" tight end, shouldn't you keep the better blocker on the field a lot more?
It doesn't seem that hard to me.
5. Rediscover the pass rush
With the Panthers secondary as banged up as it is, you'd really hope to have an excellent pass rush to consistently put pressure on opposing quarterbacks and force them to get the ball out quicker.
Unfortunately, that hasn't been the case with the Panthers and it's getting worse.
Brian Burns has just two sacks since Week 1 while, as a team, Carolina is in the bottom half of the league with 14.
They also hurry opposing quarterbacks on just 5.4% of their dropbacks, which is tied for 27th in the NFL. Case in point, Tua Tagovailoa was hit just one time on Sunday.
It may be oversimplifying a bit, but if Burns can't be awesome, then this defense has no star power. And if the defense has no star power, it will continue to get torn up and allow 40+ points in a game.
The Panthers need to bring the heat out of the bye week.
6. Unleash Johnny Hekker as an ... offensive weapon?
Yes, Johnny Hekker is a punter.
No, his fake punt on Sunday did not result in a first down and may have been the turning point where the Dolphins took control of the game.
But it wasn't Johnny's fault! He delivered the ball on time and on target to Laviska Shenault, who probably should have had a big gain on 4th & 7 if only he had picked up one more block.
Hekker isn't your average punter when it comes to executing fake punts. He's got an arm and has even shown the ability to go through progressions if necessary.
Obviously, leaning on your punter for an offensive spark is usually not advisable but look at the standings!
The Panthers are 0-6 and could absolutely use a wild card to give them a shot in the arm and maybe steal some possessions here and there.
Will some fake punts fail like on Sunday? Sure, but it's not like the defense has been lights out at any spot on the field anyway.
Going for it on fourth down is far more acceptable across the league now. Why not get a little crazy and make your opponent worry every time that Hekker's on the field?
What on Earth do you have to lose?
(And no, Johnny Hekker did not pay me to write this portion of the article.)
7. Make some trades
One thing the Panthers do have on their side right now is clarity.
They can completely forget about the playoff chase and focus solely on building for the future.
And since Carolina famously does not have its own first round pick this season, it needs to compensate by accumulating draft capital in other ways. Namely, trading away talented players that don't fit the team's long-term vision.
The most obvious candidate I can think of here is Terrace Marshall Jr. He did not have a catch against the Dolphins and didn't play a single snap last week against the Lions.
Marshall is a former second-round pick, who showed he can still be productive with a nine-catch day in Week 4. Other than that, though, he's been buried behind rookie Jonathan Mingo.
The Panthers probably won't get a lot for Marshall on the trade market, but a late round pick is better than nothing.
Safety Jeremy Chinn was another prime trade candidate with his contract set to expire this offseason, but a significant quad injury has likely killed his market.
Look for him to finish out the year with the Panthers and then leave in free agency, because his snap count has cratered this season.
The elephant in the room is Brian Burns.
Carolina probably should have traded away their star pass rusher last season, when they reportedly could have gotten two first rounders for him (especially since they didn't bother to extend him in the offseason).
Now on an expiring deal, Burns' value is still pretty high. In fact, trading him away is probably the only way that the Panthers can get back into the first round of this year's draft.
I can see the argument against trading Burns. He's a Pro Bowler at a premium position in the league, and the Panthers are likely giving up the best player in any trade that he's involved in.
But on the other hand, what does keeping Burns really profit you?
If you end up franchise tagging him, congratulations. You've rolled over the exact same problem to another team that probably won't be very good.
Shouldn't the priority be building the offense so you can develop Bryce Young?
This one is a very, very tough call.
I'm just glad I don't have to make it.
