Three Ways the Carolina Panthers Can Beat the Packers

Protect Kyle Allen

Protecting the starting quarterback sounds like an obvious step to winning a football game, however, there’s a variety of ways the Panthers can protect Kyle Allen this weekend. The first, and most blatant, is to keep him in the pocket and upright. Carolina has given up 26 sacks through eight games and has one of the worst adjusted sack rates in the league according to Football Outsiders. The Packers defense has fallen off a bit lately, but the offseason additions of Preston and Za’Darius Smith were done with one key reason in mind–to get after opposing quarterbacks.

A second facet where Allen needs protection is ball security. Allen has thrown four interceptions across the last two contests, while Green Bay has the sixth-most picks in the NFL–not an encouraging statistic for Panthers fans. One way to combat this is, as mentioned earlier, is to establish a strong run game. If Carolina can effectively run the ball, they won’t have to worry as much about Allen’s decision and play-making ability. The Panthers got to see first-hand in San Francisco what happens when he gets thrown into a score-off.

Ultimately, ball security is up to Allen. To a degree, so is avoiding sacks. The second-year pro has held on to the ball for too long at times and has helped run himself into some takedowns. However, the offensive line needs to do their part as well. Green Bay’s defensive front is one of the best in the league on paper, and a battered Carolina line could have its hands full. Perhaps the most important key to victory on Sunday is this: protect Kyle Allen from himself and from the Packers.