The Los Angeles Rams need a win in the worst way, and with the Carolina Panthers slated to start their first game of the Steve Wilks era against the reigning Super Bowl champions, this matchup should be a good opportunity to get their season back on track. Though the Rams should be overwhelming favorites, Sean McVay told reporters on Wednesday that he expects a serious challenge by Carolina when his team takes the field on offense.
When he was asked about the Panthers’ defense and what he expects to see in the pass rush, McVay told reporters that he respects the talent that Carolina has on that side of the ball. In addition to their players, he said that the schemes that the Panthers show on film are creative, and will prove to be difficult to counter.
“I see just a really good, sound defense,” McVay explained. “They play aggressive. They do a good job of being able to mix it up. They do a good job of getting off the ball with the first level of their defense. Then they’ve got speed on the second and third levels. So good players, good sound system. I’ll be interested to see is there any sort of differences. You could still see a lot of the identities of what [Carolina Panthers Interim Head] Coach Steve Wilkes or an [Carolina Panthers Defensive Coordinator] Al Holcomb defense. They definitely have their imprint on this and they’ve played a lot of really good football, like you mentioned, through these first five weeks.”
The pieces for a Rams win are all in place, but the team will need to make good on the advantages they have to seal the deal against Carolina in Week 6. Given the way that the team has played in recent weeks, victory could prove to be a fickle mistress, but with the proper game plan and preparation for the matchup, Los Angeles could find themselves back at .500 with a 3-3 record heading into the most crucial part of their schedule.
