So begins a new era in Carolina Panthers football.
The Matt Rhule regime went out with a whimper in a rough loss to the San Francisco 49ers last week. And now, interim head coach Steve Wilks takes the reins in the upcoming Week 6 clash against the defending Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams.
Here are six interesting facts you may or may not know about this particular matchup.
PJ Walker's starting success
With Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold nursing a pair of high-ankle sprains, PJ Walker is set to make the third start of his NFL career. His previous two outings both resulted in wins for Carolina—with the first coming against the Detroit Lions in 2020 and the second against the Arizona Cardinals last season.
His combined stat line in those nods has been nothing to scoff at either—as he completed 46 of his 63 passes (73.0 percent) for 425 yards. And while his touchdown-to-interception ratio (one to three) isn’t great, that number doesn’t tell the entire story behind the two blowout victories.
Can he continue his undefeated streak against the world champs? Will Wilks find new confidence in the former XFL standout?
If he does manage to pull out the win, it will be interesting to see what the Panthers do moving forward at the position.
Super Bowl hangover?
A Super Bowl hangover is something the Panthers are intimately familiar with. After a brutal loss in Super Bowl 50 to the Denver Broncos (sorry, Panther fans), the team dragged through a largely miserable 2016 with a 6-10 record.
Now the Rams, even despite actually capturing the Lombardi Trophy in February, seem to be going through it themselves. They currently sit at 2-3, fresh off back-to-back listless losses to the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys.
After facing those tough defenses (and racking up a total of a whopping 19 points in those contests), they get a fairly competent Panthers defense on Sunday. It could turn even uglier in Los Angeles, especially if they drop a game to a team working with a third-string quarterback and a new head coach.
Passing of the torch at cornerback?
Jalen Ramsey, throughout the last half decade, has been well-regarded as an elite shutdown corner. He has still been in the upper echelon of the position this season, but has ceded ground to a few younger players who have not given up the big plays that he has thus far.
One of those players is Panthers cornerback Jaycee Horn.
Horn has exploded into the season—having allowed the fewest yards and lowest passer rating amongst all starting cornerbacks through five weeks. The 2021 eighth overall pick, if healthy, will be tested again this game with Cooper Kupp on deck.
Unstoppable receiver
Speaking of that wide receiver, Kupp will be of particular interest here. With 247 yards over his last two games (and against top-tier defenses, no less), he now ranks second in yardage (527) and first in receptions (49) and targets (64).
Carolina will need to focus in on Kupp as he is the top weapon in this struggling Los Angeles offense. He will be tough to contain given his connection with quarterback Matthew Stafford and his versatility both inside and out.
If the Panthers can slow down the elite wideout, their chances of winning Wilks’ first game as interim head coach will go way up.
A running game gap
The Rams have been one of the most consistently dominant offenses under head coach Sean McVay’s six-year tenure, and that includes their work on the ground. That run offense, however, has yet to show up this season—ranking last in rushing yards per game (62.4) and 31st in yards per carry (3.2).
Cam Akers, their lead back, is averaging a measly 3.0 yards per carry—making him one of the least efficient backs this season. His offensive line has also graded out in the bottom half of the league in run blocking, so there is not much to hang their hat on at all in this department.
Carolina on the other hand, is quite efficient when they do run. Star Christian McCaffrey is averaging a solid 4.5 yards per attempt behind a much improved offensive line—one that ranks eighth in team run block win rate.
Center rotation
Perhaps a part of the Rams’ struggles to run the ball, and produce offensively in general, can be attributed to the fact that they have been dealing with numerous injuries along their offensive line. The biggest of those setbacks has been the center position, as they’ll be starting their fourth different one in a six-week stretch.
The Rams just recently added Ben Skura to the roster after being forced to place offensive lineman David Edwards on injured reserve. This means Stafford will, yet again, be behind on cohesion—which could lead to plenty of turnover and blitzing opportunities for Carolina.
