Sir Purr
Well-known member
- Mar 16, 2019
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The Panthers will need to start fast
An early touchdown is always nice, but scoring early has proven to be an effective way to beat the Falcons this season. So far, Atlanta has been outscored 150-63 in the first half, and 93-33 in the second quarter.
The Panthers haven’t necessarily excelled scoring touchdowns early in games. Carolina is tied for 17th in the league with just four first quarter touchdowns this season, and they only have one opening drive touchdown on the year.
Quarterback Kyle Allen has proven he can excel when the Panthers have a lead, but he hasn’t been as consistent when playing from behind as eight of his 10 turnovers this season have come when the Panthers were tied or trailing. But after his fourth quarter performance in Green Bay, that looks to be changing, but still – why not try to give the young quarterback an early lead?
Who’s at left tackle?
Keeping up with who’s starting along the offensive line for the Panthers this season has been quite a struggle.
The unit has been struck by a number of injuries, but luckily for the Panthers, it’s a position with unusual depth. This week left tackle seems to be the position that’s up in the air.
In last week’s loss to Green Bay, starting left tackle Dennis Daley suffered a groin injury that has kept him out of practice this week. However, it seems to be perfect timing for fellow rookie Greg Little to make his return.
After a preseason concussion, Little reentered the protocol following the Week 4 matchup in Houston. Since then, the Panthers have played things safe as Little progressed through the protocol. Little was spotted out at practice last week working individually on the sidelines, but on Thursday he was officially cleared to fully participate.
“He had an opportunity to take some reps today,” Rivera said on Thursday. “He took some yesterday, which was the final step, I believe, and he was cleared, so that was a very good sign.”
Rivera indicated that if Daley is unable to play on Sunday against the Falcons, Little will be good to step in as his replacement. Little excelled during his only start this year in Arizona, so it will be interesting to see how he performs after missing six weeks.