Carolina Panthers: Lose Benwikere for Season
A little while ago, I wrote how the Carolina Panthers season might hang on the competence of Panthers cornerback Bene Benwikere. The theory was that teams would target Benwikere and his ability to answer those challenges would decide how far the Panthers would get this season.
Well scratch that. The Panthers have lost Benwikere for the season to a broken leg. The Panthers were already scrambling for help, bringing in Cortland Finnegan to spell an injured Charles Tillman. Now Tillman can’t get back soon enough and the Panthers probably are going to get more help in the secondary.
This injury in the secondary buts a question mark on the what kind of unit the Panthers can put together back there. This question could be answered by a healthy Tillman and continued good play by Finnegan, but the Panthers will miss Benwikere.
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Of course the Panthers could have picked a worse time for this injury, or could they? The next opponent is the New York Giants. The Giants have lived and died by Eli Manning and Odell Beckham this season.
When their pair has been excellent then the Giants have been pretty good. With Benwikere out, there is more incentive for the Giants to move Beckham into the slot and away from Josh Norman.
The good news for the Panthers is the imminent return of Tillman and that the defensive line is pretty much full strength right now. Defensive pressure is the best cure for questions in the secondary. Charles Johnson is back. Dwan Edwards is back.
Benwikere was one of a handful of injuries in the Falcons game. Greg Olsen and Jonathan Stewart look to be okay coming from their ding ups. Cam Newton also dinged his funny bone in that game but came back. The increasing injury risk may change Panthers strategy as they come into the final games of the regular season. They may decide they do not want to risk any more Benwikeres.
The Carolina Panthers play the Giants at 1 PM Sunday in New Jersey.