Panthers offensive line troubles could haunt them in 2018 Injuries

Panthers’ offensive line and it could affect the season early on. On Thursday night Color Rush Taylor Moton Jersey , in the Panthers’ first and only preseason loss to the Steelers, the offensive line was much of the problem. With projected starters Daryl Williams (torn MCL/dislocated patella) and Amini Silatolu (torn meniscus) out right now, the backups did not look good in Carolina’s 39-24 loss. Backup quarterbacks Taylor Heinicke and Garrett Gilbert were continuously pushed out of the pocket and pressured by Steelers defenders. Reserve lineman Jeremiah Sirles, who was slotted to fill in for second-year Taylor Moton—who slid from right to left tackle after Matt Kalil’s knee injury—missed all week due to a hamstring injury he suffered in the third preseason game against the Patriots. The Panthers did make a cut-day trade to bolster their depth on the offensive line, sending a conditional 2020 seventh round draft pick to the Lions for offensive tackle Corey Robinson. They’re also expected to scour the waiver wire for solutions to their lack of depth once all roster cuts are final.The Panthers will open up the season against the Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys first-team defense dominated all preseason long Color Rush James Bradberry Jersey , allowing only 2.2 yards per carry and a 63.0 passer rating against.Right now, Matt Kalil is week by week following an arthroscopic surgery on his right knee. With the procedure being relatively minor, it’s possible Kalil could return for the season opener. This would be highly beneficial for the Panthers who are now down to their fourth right tackle. It’s been hinted that running back Christian McCaffrey would see 25-30 touches per game. Ron Rivera will have to rely on that running game, as well as his quick hitters, until Cam Newton gets his blind-side protection. Otherwise Youth Kawann Short Jersey , it could be a long season. The Carolina Panthers were able to build an early lead against NFC South foe Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In the Panthers 42-28 win, Cam Newton (19-of-25, 247 yards) threw a pair of touchdown passes for 19 yards to Curtis Samuel and 17 yards to Greg Olsen. For the seventh straight game, Newton has had at least two scores through the air. Despite the Bucs’ attempt to make a comeback in the second half, the Panthers offense put together a winning drive in the 4th to take home the win. The Pittsburgh Steelers are the hottest team in the AFC right now. The Steelers remain in first place in the AFC North after defeating the Baltimore Ravens 23-16. Pittsburgh’s defense played a tough game on Sunday http://www.authenticscarolinapanthers.com/cheap-da_norris-searcy-jersey , holding Baltimore to just 61 yards rushing and 209 yards passing. The Steelers also got to Joe Flacco for two sacks. Pittsburgh’s defense came up huge on stops and kept the Ravens out of the end zone all but once. The Panthers have never won at Pittsburgh. If Carolina’s offense is to have some luck against a progressing Steelers’ defense, here are three keys to the game: Continue to protect Cam: The Steelers are fifth in the league in sacks (26 total) and aren’t going to want to give Newton any time to read the defense. Defenses know that if Newton gets too much time, he’s able to do whatever he wants. T.J. Watt alone has seven sacks on the season. Stephon Tuitt has had a sack in three consecutive games and is coming on strong. Between Tuitt and Cam Heyward, they like to punish guards and will continue that trend. Utilize CMC out of the backfield: It’s nearly impossible to double team players that are running receiving routes out of the backfield. Christian McCaffrey is the Panthers’ strongest weapon and Steelers will try their hardest to double team him on the ground. Don’t give Pittsburgh the opportunity to do so. Other options would be to use speedsters D.J. Moore and Samuel in the rushing game to keep the Steelers’ D from keying in on CMC.Cover Mike Hilton: He may be 5’9 and technically “not a starter”, but Hilton is still a big factor to the Steelers defense. With as much sub-package the Steelers play http://www.authenticscarolinapanthers.com/cheap-wes-horton-jersey , he’s been on the field 60% of the time in 2018. When Hilton’s out there, he is going to be all over the place. If he keeps it going in the slot, he is going to look for a turnover. Against the Ravens, Hilton was the best player for parts of the game with a pass breakup and two tackles for loss. He was critical in keeping Baltimore out of the end zone in the first half. The Panthers and Steelers are pretty evenly matched on paper. It’ll be a close game and will come down to who can zone in on their key weapons best.