This Carolina Panthers team feels a bit different from what we’ve gotten

Given the turnover in the coaching staff this past offseason Authentic Kawann Short Jersey , seeing a different character from the offense is to be expected. Norv Turner runs a very similar offense to what Mike Shula ran, but he’s a different playcaller who brings his own preferences and tendencies. Let’s check in on how the offense looked to start the season. An important note here: all of the statistics I mention below account for the first six weeks of the season only. They do not include the Baltimore game unless specifically stated.The bipolar expressIn short, they either look good or bad, rarely average. They are very good at staying ‘on schedule’; between their own 10 and the opponent’s 30, the Panthers have an almost 50% success rate, and almost 80% of their first downs came on first or second down through six games, marks good enough for 11th and third in the league, respectively. However, when they did get to third and seven or more (which accounts for 55% of their third downs), they converted an abhorrent nine percent of the time, worst in the league. They were sixth in the league in marginal efficiency, and 23rd in marginal explosiveness. I’m throwing out statistical jargon without doing much to explain it, but the numbers paint a familiar picture for those who watched those six games; a team that is maddeningly inconsistent, lurching between listless and brilliant.A selection of advanced metrics from Bill Connelly’s nfl analytics app. These numbers only take the first 6 games into account.https://www.sbnation.com/a/nfl-stats-data-analytics-2018Some Panthers fans feel like one of the biggest contributors to the team’s dual personality is an unwillingness to really attack a defense until the game is nearly out of reach. We’ve seen the past few weeks (seasons?) how effective the offense can be when it plays with urgency, and we’ve seen how getting conservative while trying to protect a lead can just let the other team back into the game. On first downs in the first half, Carolina ran the ball 54% of the time through six games Womens Mike Adams Jersey , with a 62% success rate, both among the highest rates in the league. In the second half, the run/pass split was highly dependent on the score. With a lead on first down in the second half, the run/pass ratio was 70/30, with a 45% success rate on runs, 31% on passes. When tied or trailing the run/pass ratio totally reversed, going to 21/79, with 83% success rate on runs, 52% on passes. The same split held on second and 10 or less. With a lead in the second half, the offense went 52/48 run/pass, with success rates of 42% and 64%. Tied or trailing, they went 18/82 run/pass with success rates of 83% and 70%. Our eyes have not been deceived; the offense calls plays differently (and plays better) from behind.Every team shows some kind of tendency split like this in the second half, but through six games, Carolina’s was more extreme than most. On average, NFL teams pass 52% of the time on 1st down in the first half. In the second half, teams go 33% pass on 1st down with the lead Womens Devin Funchess Jersey , 65% when tied or trailing. The Panthers were more run-heavy than average when ahead, and more pass-heavy when behind.Cam NewtonGoing that pass-heavy puts the onus on the quarterback to play well, and Cam Newton has shouldered the load when called upon to put the the team on his back. Cam completed 66% of his passes through six games, which would be his career best for a season, and he also outpaced his expected completion percentage (either 65% or 63% depending on what the statisticians are accounting for) for the first time in his career. Completion percentage is the one stat to rule them all, and Cam Newton is finally elite.Throughout Cam’s career, we’ve been told that he’s an excellent downfield passer, but his production through six games looks more like that of a quarterback who excels in the intermediate window between 10 and 15 yards downfield. He’s rarely throwing the ball more than 20 yards downfield, and most of those passes are not being completed.The chart shows Cam Newton’s PACR and target frequency broken down by target depth (through 7 weeks). PACR stands for Passer Air Conversion Ratio. The formula is (Passing Yards/Air Yards). Performing above league average in this metric means that for every yard a pass travels in the air (regardless of completion), the offense gains more yardage than average.airyards.comThe focus on short and intermediate routes is likely by design, which, coupled with using backs and tight ends more frequently to help with pass protection have allowed the coaching staff to make things easier on a battered offensive line. Newton isn’t getting rid of the ball any faster than he was last season (he’s actually holding it slightly longer - 2.74 vs 2.72 seconds), but the approach is helping to keep him upright, as he was pressured on just 23% of his dropbacks through six games, and only 5.8% of his passes over that period came while being hit, down from 7% in 2017 and over 10% in 2016. Of course Authentic Shaq Thompson Jersey , it also helps that the offense faced blitzes only 18% of the time, the 4th lowest rate in the league.Passer rating broken down by target location and depth.nextgenstats.nfl.comImproving the wide receiver corps also probably contributes to better accuracy through the air. Torrey Smith, Jarius Wright, DJ Moore, and a healthy Curtis Samuel have been able to more consistently separate from defensive backs this season than Kelvin Benjamin and whoever else was healthy in the past. Cam has been throwing into fewer tight windows (defined as throws where there is a defender within a yard of the receiver when the ball arrives, down from 20.5% to 17.7% through six games). Having more confidence in receivers to get open can also allow the team to contribute more players to pass protection.Where there is absolutely room for improvement in the passing game is on third and long. A nine percent conversion rate is unquestionably atrocious, but probably looks worse for Newton on paper than on tape. There may be some predictable playcalling/routes, but Cam’s passing numbers on third and eight or longer (4/16 with just one first down and two interceptions) are so out of step with his performance on other down and distance situations that I expect some regression to the mean (read: improvement) as the season progresses.The run gameCoaches like to say that a good running game opens up the pass, and would likely argue that success in the running game runs hand in hand with success in the passing game. Regardless of where the causality arrow points, the Carolina offense has generally been very successful running the ball (6.3 yards per carry on first down, best in the league through six games). Having an athlete like Cam Newton at quarterback helps a team’s run game, but another important factor is deciding when to run the ball.Last season, Jonathan Stewart averaged 3.4 yards per carry, running into a heavy box on an unbelievable 51% of his carries. It rarely felt like he got a handoff without someone already in the backfield. Through six games this season, Christian McCaffrey averaged 4.8 yards per carry, running into a stacked box (containing eight or more defenders) just 18% of the time Authentic Donte Jackson Jersey , compared to 3.7 and 21% last season. He’s looking like a premier threat with the ball in his hands, but a lot of his success is due to excellent blocking. The O-line allowed 3.5 yards per carry before contact through six games. That’s unbelievable considering the number of injuries they’ve suffered. The starting LT was signed off the street in week 2!The prognosisThere’s a lot more that can be said to describe this team’s offense, but suffice it to say that statistically, the offense is an efficient unit capable of grinding out first downs. The running game is strong and Cam Newton is having an excellent season throwing the ball; that combination should give defensive coordinators sleepless nights. Unfortunately, we don’t always see the most potent version of the offense until the coaches are forced to bring it out. The Panthers have finally put together an offense that’s brimming with players who excel with the ball in their hands and paired it with a scheme that caters to the unique talents of their franchise quarterback. As long as the O-line can continue to play at a high level, the only thing that’s really missing from the offense is explosive plays in the passing game. As the coaches figure out how to get Curtis Samuel and DJ Moore more involved, we can hope for more big plays after the catch; how long has it been since that was an honest thought in Carolina?The Ravens showed what the offense is capable of when they come out hungry and what can happen when they stay hungry for 60 minutes. Baltimore’s excellent defense had a hard time dealing with everything the Carolina offense brought to the table, but I’m skeptical whether that means this Panthers team has turned a corner. Carolina’s offense had a great game this weekend, but projecting the same dominance going forward would be to ignore the flaws that held the team back at times in the first six games. Every offense will struggle at times. Special offenses always feel dangerous, even when they’re not having success. This Panthers offense has the potential to be one of those special units, but they have to keep improving in order to get there. For the first time since 2010, the Carolina Panthers have a quarterback battle on their hands heading into the preseason — at least when it comes to who'll backup 2015 league MVP Cam Newton.Since Newton entered the league as the No. 1 overall pick in 2011, Panthers coach Ron Rivera has always had veteran Derek Anderson to fall back on as a security blanket. But the Panthers opted not to re-sign the 35-year Anderson this offseason, opening the battle for the No. 2 spot between two young QBs who have attempted one career pass between them.Garrett Gilbert and Taylor Heinicke will begin that battle in earnest on Thursday night when the Panthers open the preseason in Buffalo against the Bills.Rivera said Gilbert will be the first off the bench and will get some reps with the first team. Heinicke will be the third quarterback for this game, although he didn't rule out that the QB rotation could change the following week."I'm really curious to watch them and see how they both do, I really am Womens Greg Van Roten Jersey ," Rivera said. "... We are going to try to get those guys as many snaps as we can the next few weeks so we can make a good decision."Rivera said he'll try to split reps as equally as possible between the two in the preseason."We would like to feel really good about who the guy is going to be going into the last preseason game so he can get the bulk of the work," Rivera said. "We will give them both some opportunities with the twos and the threes and create some situations where they can get some time with the ones."Panthers tight end Greg Olsen said he likes what he's seen from both young QBs in training camp."They are two really smart kids and can spin it really well," Olsen said. "Of course, losing a guy like D.A. (Anderson) is tough for a lot of reasons because of who he was in the locker room for us, but we are moving in another direction."Ironically, both Gilbert and Heinicke have spent time in New England behind Tom Brady, although neither was able to stick with the Patriots.Gilbert was drafted in the sixth round by the Rams in 2014 and spent time with the Patriots, Lions and Raiders before serving as Carolina's third-string quarterback last season. However, he's never played in a regular season game."You can see the confidence with how he gets up and handles things right now," Rivera said. "He has a strong arm and we know that. So now, it's about knowing the offense, and what we're trying to do and then taking it and translating."Heinicke has a leg up on Gilbert in that area since he's familiar with coordinator Norv Turner's offensive system having spent two years working under him with the Minnesota Vikings."He has shown us he has a good arm and good decision maker and he's athletic as well," Rivera said.Gilbert said he's not worried about the competition at this point, saying his goal is to "develop my skills and be the best quarterback for this team I can possibly be."NOTES: Rivera said ideally he'd like to play Newton about nine to 10 plays against the Bills. ... Tyler Larsen will start at center against the Bills as the team slowly works center Ryan Kalil back into action. ... Defensive end Julius Peppers still has not practiced with the team, although he has been cleared to return.