By: Wes Roop
This Sunday, former GM Dave Gettlemen and former OC Mike Shula return to Charlotte for an intriguing matchup against the Panthers. Let us hope they do not enjoy their stay, at least when it comes to football. The Giants will come into the "vault" sporting a 1-3 record. Don't let their record fool you, this Giants team has playmakers and can compete. The Panthers lead the series against the Giants 6-4. In the last two meetings, Carolina outscored the G-men 76-35. Carolina will look to add to that lopsided affair this Sunday. Below, I am going to discuss what I think the three keys to success versus the Giants are.
GETTING THE RUN GAME GOING
It is a well known fact to our Panthers fans. When we run the ball well, we win more often than not. Carolina currently ranks #1 for running the ball in the NFL. Cam, CMC and CJ Anderson are all averaging over five yards a tote. CMC is a budding superstar and it's hard to imagine the Panthers going away from the script, especially against a team we've historically had success running against. In the last two meetings, the Panthers have put up 365 rushing yards against the Giants. Getting the run game rolling will also open things up downfield for Newton. Cam has thrown for 563 yards, 8 TDs and only 1 INT in the previous last two meetings. It all started with success on the ground. Getting the run game and the stats speak for themselves.
CONTAINING SAQUAN BARKLEY
Barkley is very similar to our lead back, CMC, he is versatile, shifty and can break tackles. He has 260 rushing yards and is averaging over 6 catches and 48 receiving yards a game. The rookie has hit at least 100 scrimmage yards in every game this season. The Giants will definitely feed him the ball, as was seen in their game against Dallas earlier this season. The Dallas defense only allowed Barkley 28 yards on the ground, however, the G-men countered this by using him in the pass game. Barkley finished the day with 14 catches and 80 receiving yards. If the Panthers can contain Barkley from having a big day, one can only think success will follow.
GETTING THE DEFENSE OFF THE FIELD ON 3RD DOWN
This final key, in my opinion, will be the most intriguing to watch. Eli Manning currently ranks #2 in the NFL for 3rd down efficiency. Manning is moving the sticks on 3rd down at a rate of 51.2%. The G-men are also averaging slightly over three minutes a drive, which ranks them at 4th in the NFL. It's clear they do a good job moving the chains. On the other side, Carolina currently ranks 16th on 3rd down defense. The Panthers are only allowing teams to convert 37.5% of the time. Although this stat may not be the deciding factor, I think it could be a huge key to success versus the Giants this week.
In closing, I think this should be a pretty competitive game. A lot of talent will take the field, but I trust this Panthers defense at home.
Final Score Prediction:
Panthers: 27
Giants: 17
Feel free to weigh in with your thoughts and as always, KEEP POUNDING!
Comments