Slant routes: the playoff edition
The Panthers are back in the playoffs! Enjoy the experience. Plus, some thoughts on keys to the game.
Playoff football will return to Charlotte for the first time in ten years.
On Saturday, the Panthers will play their first home playoff game in 10 years when they host the Los Angeles Rams.
Cam Newton will be in the house to bang the Keep Pounding drum before the game. It’s going to be rainy. It’s going to be windy. It’s playoff football at its finest.
People can poke fun at the Panthers for backing their way into the playoffs as they did in 2014 when they won the NFC South with a 7-8-1 record.
That team won a game in the playoffs and the next year they went to the Super Bowl.
The bottom line is the Panthers weren’t consistent but won some big games on the road and at home. The Buccaneers didn’t take care of their business and opened the door.
So, will the Panthers take advantage? How will Bryce Young fare in his first playoff start? We are going to find out.
More Moore, less Legette?
Xavier Legette’s second NFL season hasn’t gone as he or Panthers fans have hoped. In the Panthers finale at Tampa Bay, Legette saw his lowest snap percentage of the season. He only played 16 of the Panthers 51 offensive snaps, which was his lowest percentage of the season (38) per FTN Data.
His snap percentage has trended lower since Week 15. With David Moore slated to come back, it’s fair to wonder if Legette’s snaps trend even lower. Would the Panthers even make him inactive?
Being inactive is probably not a likely outcome but he has not been consistent enough to have him on the field for significant offensive snaps. In a playoff game, all mistakes are magnified and Legette has had his share of drops, penalties and field awareness issues.
In Bob McGinn’s 40th annual NFL Draft Series at Go Long, four different scouts weighed in on Legette. The fourth scout had this to say:
“He’s like a better Laviska Shenault. He’s almost like a running back in a way. It took four years to kind of get him up to speed. You can put a tremendous highlight tape on him. The big question will be, ‘OK, how long’s it going to take?’ Is he a one-spot wideout? Probably yes his rookie year. If it took four years in college to get to that level, how long is it going to take in the NFL?”
Everybody progresses at different rates in the league but the Panthers brass has to wonder how long - or if - the light will ever come on for him.
Moore was a crucial target for Young in 2024. Last season, 18 of Moore’s 32 receptions were caught for first downs. He was also targeted in the end zone six times and two went for touchdowns.
Additionally, Moore has been in the league since 2018 and has played in six playoff games.
Although he hasn’t played since Week 4, it’s fair to wonder if he’ll see the field more than Legette.
Avoid 2nd & long
In their last two losses, the Panthers offense possessed the ball for a total of 48 minutes 17 seconds on 104 snaps.
Meanwhile, the Panthers defense has faced 133 plays and been on the field for 71 minutes 43 seconds in those two games.
Part of the Panthers problem with sustaining drives has been their ineffectiveness on first down. They’ve faced 32 2nd downs in their last two games, 17 of those have been 2nd or 7 or longer. Ten of those 17 downs were 10 yards or longer.
The Panthers have only converted 36.1 percent of their third downs, which is 25th in the league. Despite their shortcomings on third down, they’ve excelled on fourth down converting 67.5 percent of their chances, which ranks fifth in the league.
A big reason for their Week 13 win over the Rams was scoring two long touchdowns on fourth down. The Panthers cannot rely on a repeat performance of their fourth down success in this game against the Rams.
Run the ball, stop the run
The Panthers running game fell flat to end the season. They ran for 164 yards and controlled the clock in their win over the Rams in Week 13.
In their last four games, the Panthers have ran for 127, 101, 99 and 19 yards.
Meanwhile, the Panthers defense has allowed opponents to rush for 169, 163 and 140 yards in their last three games.
In a game where rain and wind will be a factor, it’ll be imperative for the Panthers to find success on the ground. The return of right guard Robert Hunt should help the running game.
On the flip side, the Rams will be without stalwart guard Kevin Dotson.
Enjoy the game
If you’re not lucky enough to be at Bank of America Stadium on Saturday, enjoy the game at home. Stay off social media and take in the moment. It has been a long eight years since they were last in the playoffs, so enjoy the moment.
Grab a beer, some wings and just watch the game with friends instead of hyper fixating on every social media post imaginable.
If you’re lucky enough to attend, be loud and embrace the elements.
Sports are supposed to be fun. Being in the playoffs is better than reading countless mock drafts.