Pounding. Pounding. Pounding, baby. Keep pounding, baby. Dowdle defense did the job. Let’s get this sucker started. Get dialed in Panthers fans. Here comes an in-depth look at your team. Exclusive interviews locker room insight. Let’s huddle up for Panther’s Playbook presented by Wake Orthopedics, a wake med physician practice. Here are your hosts, Dennis Cox and Chris Lee. Welcome back to another episode of Panther’s Playbook. That’s Chris Lee. Dennis Cox here with you. Panthers Playbook sponsored by Wake Orthopedics. Leave the thoughts in the comments, folks on the 1613 win over the Green Bay Packers. You know, Chris, I’m not gonna lie, I think we have, uh, discovered the identity of this team. Dirty Ugly Just sometimes downright dreadful at moments, but they find a way to just to grind. That’s the thing. This team just grinds out wins. That’s what they do. They grind out wins. That’s exactly what they did today over Green Bay. It was defense, getting a couple of turnovers. You only allowed 13 points. I mean you only allowed 13 points. Hard to put too much on the defense. There’s a couple of moments I was like, what’s happening? And Enrico Dale, we’ve been clamoring since the Dallas game, after the Miami game. Give the ball to Rico Dawle. What’d you do today? You gave him the ball 25 times. He gets 130 yards and 2 touchdowns, and he’s the engine that made this offense move today. Yes. It’s, it’s one of those things where like, look, I’m not trying to pile on Chuba Hubbard as we said last week, I love Chuba Hubbard. I’m glad that he has a future with this team, but right now, the man who has the hot hand is Rico Dowdle, and like I, I, I literally felt like you could have possibly, if the Jets were any better of a team, you could have possibly given that game away if little bit of the, the little bit of a chance that you had last week, you know, you didn’t really have a chance, but you took it out of your hands because of Rico Dado, but because you didn’t play Rico Daddo the way you should have. And today, you’ve played Rico Dowdle. You went behind him and you made sure that you, he ran the ball. He got you, uh, 2 touchdowns. He got you 130 yards on the ground, and the Packers just couldn’t stop him. The Packers outgained the Panthers in this game. They, they had, they had a better offensive day. Uh, but on our, on our side, we controlled what we could control, and that was running the ball through Rico Dado. We can talk about the defense, but I just definitely want to highlight how important, how key that decision was into getting a win or getting blown out on the road. This is something that Carolina needed to have happen because let’s be honest, Green Bay had one of the best run defenses in the league. I think going into this week, they were 4th in the NFL in yards per carry allowed, just 3.7. Rico was at 5.2 today. Uh, it’s massive win like that they honestly that truly hurts the, yeah, exactly. That’s the thing he, he was playing hurt. It’s like groin injury looks like the knee was bothering him. He just kept getting up and just kept turning and turning and going, and that was the difference that. Rico Dowdle is the engine for this offense. That was proven once again. He’s the engine for this offense and that’s exactly what this Panthers team needed where you didn’t have Taylor Moten playing because he was hurt, even though he was dressed, he was hurt, and you had Josh Iman starting at right tackle, which, by the way, he started in the game that I’m sorry, that Rico Dado had the 239 yard performance against Dallas. So he started that game low key having a a pretty good year when he plays. I mean, just, but as a run offense, that’s what these guys are built to do. What is, what is Ikey Aquaanu’s strength? Run blocking. They leaned into it. They leaned into their strengths finally, you and I were pounding the table and so is everyone else, fans, media, everyone included. Give this guy the ball, and I think the thing that we need to appreciate about this as well. Is that Rico Dowdle backed it up again. Rico Dowdle backed it up again. It’s like, hey, those two games against Miami and Dallas, they weren’t flukes. They weren’t flukes. I have to be the guy that coached the rock for this team. And man, I, dude, like you said, playing injured, playing hurt, man, it’s just tough as nails day from Rico Dowdle, and I just. Hats off to him, man, and hats off to the defense as well. The defense. Forcing turnovers left him. I forced two turnovers. I know you said it just before we recorded, could have had a 3rd on what could have been an interception by Mike Jackson in the end zone on 4th down, but you gotta give the defense credit as well. But high flying offense, he only gave up 13 points. That’s it. I, I, I want to stick with the offense just really quick, really quickly, just because that like there’s another big factor into this. Um, Micah Parsons had a very quiet day. And this is a guy that the last few times he’s played against the Carolina Panthers, he’s feasted. He had a big game last year. He had a big game last year against them. And so this is where if I’m gonna rag on the coaching staff and I’m gonna rag on Gerald Everro. I, I, I do have a few things that I’m beefing about. But as far as Dave Canales coming in with a clear game plan, sticking to that game plan and not panicking, and then also. Taking uh Micah Parsons out of this game with a patched up offensive line. I can’t stress how big that is for the Carolina Panthers, and, and one of the reasons why they come away with this win. Micah Parsons could have absolutely torched any part of that line, especially any of the patched up parts of the line, and we saw Endgame, Damian Lewis had to leave for a little bit. He came back, we saw, you know, a replacement for him. Chandler Zavala didn’t play as much. He’s out. Like, literally. The line changed within the game, and that could have been a recipe for disaster for the Carolina Panthers. Not only did the replacements do their job and protect Bryce Young for the most part and, and to give him some time, they also kept Michael Parsons out of this game, and part of that is the run game. When you’re able to uh have established a good run game and what Bryce Young only threw what, 20 times, 21 times or something like that in this game? 20. Bro, what was the stat you talked about before about him throwing, uh, you know, less than 35 times less than 30, less than 30. Well, now with Bryce, when he throws less than 30 times, the Panthers are now 8 and 5 in his career. When he throws less than 30. This team knows that that that’s how this team has to win games. This very well could have been a game where the Carolina Panthers have been were trying to come from behind, and Micah Parsons could have had a field day teeing off in the 4th quarter, and that didn’t happen. Um, and so, props to the offensive coaching staff, props to Dave Canalis because you made one of the best players regardless of position. In the NFL, virtually ineffective in this game. That is hard to do and that is a big factor in them getting this win today on the road, yeah, on the road. So the game plan for Canales and this staff was, was clear from the get-go, and it actually leans into the strength of what the Carolina Panthers do because the way they score generally touchdowns, it’s long drives, long methodical drives like 9, 1011 play drives. Which allows them to shorten the game, especially when you’re able to control the clock with running the ball, and it played right into their hands. It really did. Each team only had 7 drives in the game. That’s it. Only 7. That plays right into the Panthers’ hands. So yeah, the overall game plan for Carolina and Dave Canalas that they set out for this one, it paid off. It absolutely worked for them. Lean on the running game, trust your defense to get stops in the red zone, and then just make this game as short as possible. It’s exactly what they did. They shortened the game, props to them. They executed and they walked off with the win, walked off with the win. And guess what? They’re 55. They’ve already matched last year’s win total, Chris, already. They already matched last year’s win 9 weeks into it. 5 and 45 wins, 5 wins, 5 wins, 5 wins, 5 wins. Like Harlem Heat over here. Let, let’s go. That’s exactly what it looked like, but that’s the thing. They, they, they stuck with the game plan. You pointed out, Chris, they stuck with the game plan. It’s a testament to what Rico Dole does. It’s a testament to what Rico Daddo provides. Um, You wanna talk about the defense now? Hey, overall, hell of a day. You, you held Jordan Love and the Packers to 13 points. Hell of a day. It got sketchy there for a little bit, got a little sketchy there for a couple of moments there late. But still, overall, you only held them to 13. I, I can’t complain too much about holding the Packers to 13. Fumble, field goal, field goal, missed field goal, interception, turnover on downs, touchdown. Like, You know, like, the, the, you would think for the Packers, if you say you’re gonna host the Carolina Panthers at home, and you’re not going to punt all day. Are you gonna come away with that win or not? And they’re gonna think they are going to come away with that win. And they did not punt, and you had two turnovers, a turnover and down, and a missed field goal, and really, and and the Carolina Panthers besides their last drive, kept you out of the end zone. That is a successful day, like, you know, this in the NFL it’s gonna be very hard to stop really good offenses. So they’re going to march up and down the field, no matter who’s in front of them. But for the fact that they were able to settle down, cause two turnovers, uh, also force them to, to kick field goals so they could stay in it. The Green Bay Packers very well could have been up 21 to 7 early on, right? Panthers defense, uh, absolutely uh stepped up, uh, and, and made them kind of come from behind and and it kind of put Green Bay in a position that I don’t think they wanted to be in. They expected to run the ball and to keep away from the Carolina Panthers so that they could, the Panthers could just, you know, sit back and have Bryce Young, you know, throw it all the time. And I don’t know if, uh, Matt LaFleur really adjusted to that well because I mean, when you pushed it downfield, Panthers really couldn’t stop you. And he, he was the one who was like, ah, we’re gonna run it when you probably should have pushed it down the field against this team. And I think the fact that the weather factored into that. We definitely factored into it, but I do think he waited too late to do some of that, but like, man, what, what a great job from the Panthers today on defense. Here’s the thing, I, I, I, I do have beef with a couple of things. Yeah, 2 4th downs, your DBs are behind the line of game, backing up once the ball is snapped. This is exactly what lost to Dallas Cowboys the game. Like, I know that as a defensive coordinator, you have to study the other team’s offense. You should probably also study other teams’ defenses and why they lost games as well, because this game could have been lost by decisions like that. You know, and I, I just, I don’t, I don’t understand that, and it’s still one of those things where it’s like, you know, I don’t, I don’t know, depending on the way this season ends, you know, maybe Iro has saved his job, we’ll have to see, but there’s still some some decisions that uh that scratch that make this kind of head scratching to me. Then also you have Greg Olsen calling out how uh How predictable the Carolina Panthers are on defense, where it’s like, you know, the field side, you’re gonna um have uh uh Mike Jackson, you know, boundary side, you’re gonna have uh JC Horn. It just depends on where the ball is placed and on which hash, and that’s how you can figure out where you want to go and maybe put certain uh receivers at. It’s like, you know, if the announcer, I mean, of course, you played football at a very high level, it was very good. Uh, but if the announcers calling that out on television, you know that offenses are licking their chops every week because they can figure it out. Like we do that on this podcast up. We have been, but like now it’s now it’s been called out on national television in front of millions of viewers. And so it’s like, bro bro, like we gotta do something to kind of switch this up just a little bit. Yeah, I, I agree. I agree. And I was actually surprised that they didn’t go for two there. I was at the end, I was very surprised that that Green Bay didn’t do it just because I thought like, OK, wait the time is on the clock. You still have two timeouts, so you have the 2 minute warning as well. Like you could stop him still if you don’t get an onsite kick, you don’t convert. I, so anyway, I was a little surprised by that decision, but needless to say, I actually thought there were some moments. Defensively, where there are some well-timed blitz calls up the middle with Trevon Wallace and Christian Roseboom. I was like, yeah, like it just, and they put pressure right in the face of Jordan Love and he just had to throw the ball away. I thought that they were just, I thought they made Green Bay uncomfortable all game. I think they made Green Bay uncomfortable all game. And I gotta give the guys credit. I you really do. Overall, like again, you mentioned those 4 down moments and stuff like that. 100% agree with you on that. But overall, fantastic day. And now, Chris. Like 5 and 4? Panthers on a playoff hunt. Like, let’s call it what it is. This team’s in the playoff hunt. 5 and 4. They’re in the playoff hunt. They really are. I think if they lost this game today, they’re definitely on the outside looking in. But now the way things are, they’re in the playoff hunt, Chris. They’re in this thing. Not saying they’re gonna make it. But they’re within striking distance. 5 and 4 with the Saints coming to town next week. You better beat the Saints. Oh my God, you better beat the. And then going to Atlanta, who, Atlanta, we’ve already beat them 30 to 0, but also Atlanta. Isn’t really doing well against the teams that we didn’t do well against either, you know what I’m saying? So like, they lost to New England today by 1, 24, 23. 0, they came back, OK, when I last saw they were they were getting their tails whipped. Uh, OK, alright, so they came back. I didn’t look at the score, but I mean, still, that’s still a winnable game on the road, and now, I mean, I would argue to say that this is this was a tougher environment to try to come out and get a win versus a tougher team to try to get a win. You’re gonna go to Atlanta, probably decent weather and weather won’t be a factor because you’re gonna be indoors, they’re gonna be indoors and and you’ve already played against this team, like, like come on man, like there there’s a chance, there’s a chance, Dennis, that if you take care of business. After the next 2 weeks. Yeah. You could be 7 and 4. Heading into Monday Night Football. 7 and 4. Did anybody think at the beginning of the season at the Carolina Panthers would be anywhere close to 7 and 4? No, no, I said I said 7 and 10 was gonna be their ceiling. I said 7 to 9. I said 7 and 10 was gonna be the record. That that’s what I predicted at the beginning of this year, 7 and 10. There’s a, there’s literally a chance for that. I don’t want to get too ahead of ourselves, right? You know, we still have to actually show up next week versus the the Saints, but boy. You talk about some winnable games coming up very soon, and this game was a bonus right here. There’s, there’s a great like you can. Take care of business. That’s all I gotta say. Here’s something to keep in mind. Here’s something to keep in mind. You look at the rest of the NFC again, I know we’re, we’re getting, we’re getting ahead of ourselves right here. But Detroit lost today. They’re 5 and 3. By the time we’re recording this, she says it’s actually Cincinnati just took a 1 point lead against Chicago. Chicago’s 4 and 3 coming into today, so we’ll see what Chicago does at the end of that drive, uh, you know, or they’re into that game if they come back and win. But Detroit’s in the 7th spot at 5 and 3. You’re equal in the win column. The Rams are playing currently at the moment with of us recording. They’re actually at home against the Saints right now. Is this the one time we actually got to root for the Saints? Because the Rams are the, the first wild card spot at 5 and 2. San Francisco, like you mentioned, Monday Night Football coming up in a couple of weeks. They’re 6 and 3. you’re right there in the win column with all these other teams in the NFC. Like you, you, you have put yourselves, Carolina Panthers, in a spot where you can actually say that is a reasonable, that’s a reasonable shot for us to make it. Yes. It’s a reasonable shot for them to make it. Now. We can have this conversation later on this week when everything else shakes out with all the rest of these games and next week you can take an outside look and look, you know. At the playoff situation going forward, but there are things that from this game that obviously you can translate from week to week, but You are going to need more from Bryce Young. You are gonna need more offensive production. You can’t win 1613 every single week, not in this NFL. You just can’t. You can’t go 11 of 20 for your quarterback for 102 yards and an interception. Like you are going to need more, but things that can carry tough defense in the red zone. And running the football on a consistent basis. Those things can translate from week to week. What are some things that you want to see improvement on or I guess not necessarily improvement on, but certain things for the offense to try the next few weeks, and I’ll I’ll say mine. I’ll let you go first since you brought the question. I’ll let you go first. Um, I, I would like to see. The try to deliberately get the ball in Jimmy Horn’s hands just a little bit more in space. I, I just, I wanna, I want Dave Canalis to take some time, figure out what are some ways that we can get the ball in Jimmy Horn’s hand deliberately in space. I also want him to, I want him to be a little bit more deliberate in trying to get off uh offensive production from the tight ends. I felt like the tight ends were very quiet today, you know, target from Mitchell Evins today. There there are some guys where it’s like, OK, like you can, you can stand to try to get to them a little bit more. Now, there’s only 20 passes, right? So, like, obviously, clearly, you’re not gonna have uh too many targets for a lot of guys when you only pass the ball 20 times. Um, but I, I think in the future, those are the things I think that I would like for the Panthers to work on a little bit because we see the difference. What’s the difference between Rico Dado and Chuba Hubbard? Rico Dado gives you, uh, that home run threat. He’s that explosive play threat. I think Jimmy Horn has some of that in him. I think also you have some um explosive threats, uh, potentially depending on, you know, the defense that you’re going against and, and, and the play call from the tight end position, which could possibly also help you out. Um, you know, with your wide receivers. Those are things I I wanna see just a little bit more, uh, from, from the Panthers’ offense. Otherwise, and maybe some more, some more two back sets, but otherwise, I think, uh, things are going great. This was a great game for Dave Canales. I just want to say that once again, because I’m not gonna come here and and talk mess about somebody without giving them their props when they deserve their props, for sure. Uh, I think the one thing I want to see from this offense going forward is being able to push the ball down field more. They need more chunk plays in the passing game. They, they just, the way the NFL works, the way it just football works now, the more explosive plays you get, it translates into more touchdowns. Simple as that. You just need more chunk plays. That’s, that’s something I’d like to see going for. But you know what? I’ll take, I’ll take a 5 and 4 record through 9 games. I’ll take a 5 and 4 record through 9 games. Folks, let us know your thoughts about this win and playoffs. Is it a real thing? Is it a Whoa, Whoa, maybe, but whoa. Pounding. Pound that subscribe button, folks. Keep pounding the likes. Keep pounding the hype, keep pounding the comment section. We’ll see y’all on Thursday. Celebrate this win, folks.
