Jets vs. Panthers Off/Def Breakdowns

[CarolinaLivin]

CAROLINA PANTHERS

Year one under head coach Matt Rhule went as expected with the Panthers finishing with a 5-11 record. To be quite honest, the Panthers may have even exceeded expectations considering the roster they had a year ago. For a team that is in a major rebuild project, the Panthers didn't show it on the field. They were competitive week in and week out and eight of their eleven losses came by one score or less. 

This offseason, the Panthers made a change in the front office by firing Marty Hurney and hiring Scott Fitterer as the team’s new general manager. Fitterer comes from the Seattle Seahawks where was a member of the front office since 2001. He most recently held the role of Vice President of Football Operations. Since taking over the job, he has made a number of changes to the roster including striking a deal with the New York Jets for quarterback Sam Darnold. Fitterer also brought in quality free agents such as LB Haason Reddick, TE Dan Arnold, CB A.J. Bouye, and a few others to go along with a respectable draft haul of ten rookies.

With what seems to be an improved roster, the Panthers believe they have what it takes to make a push for not only a winning season but a spot in the postseason as well. 

Offense 

With Sam Darnold in and Teddy Bridgewater out, the Panthers’ offense has the potential to be more explosive and more efficient in 2021. Bridgewater was a serviceable quarterback but he lacked the arm strength and downfield accuracy to be a better-than-average quarterback.

Despite the struggles during his time with the Jets, there is a real sense of belief that Sam Darnold will flourish in this Joe Brady offense. For the first time in his career, Darnold is surrounded not only by elite talent at the skill positions but also by a coaching staff and front office that have full trust in him to get the job done.

Returning at receiver are DJ Moore and Robby Anderson. The Panthers lost Curtis Samuel to free agency but 2nd round draft pick Terrace Marshall Jr. is doing more than just filling in nicely. There’s a legitimate argument to be made that by the end of the season, he will have had the best rookie year out of all the receivers from the 2021 NFL Draft class.

In the backfield, Carolina added some depth behind Christian McCaffrey who missed 13 games a year ago due to injury. Carolina selected Oklahoma State’s Chuba Hubbard in the 4th round of the draft and recently claimed veteran Royce Freeman off waivers from the Denver Broncos.

The tight end room also seems to be in a much better place following the additions of Dan Arnold and 3rd round pick, Tommy Tremble. Ian Thomas will still have a role in the offense but he will no longer be considered the featured tight end in the passing game which will be Arnold’s job.

The offensive line still remains a major concern aside from right tackle Taylor Moton, who recently signed a four-year contract extension. Carolina brought in Cam Erving and Pat Elflein to man down the left tackle and left guard spots but they have had their fair share of struggles in the league. Left tackle has been a sore spot for the Panthers’ organization who will be starting its eight different player at that position in as many years.

Defense 

The defensive line has turned from a weakness to a potential strength for the Panthers in 2021. Second-year player Derrick Brown is on the right path for having a breakout season after showing some signs of promise as a rookie. To help Brown on the interior of the defensive line, Carolina signed former Tennessee Titan DaQuan Jones who has 93 career starts to his name. They also added depth there through the draft by selecting Iowa’s Daviyon Nixon and Kentucky’s Phil Hoskins.

Everyone knows about Brian Burns and the young budding star’s extremely high ceiling. The one problem Carolina faced a year ago was that nearly every offensive line started to turn their full attention to Burns and began double-teaming him. To solve that issue, GM Scott Fitterer signed Haason Reddick in free agency. Reddick posted a career-high 12.5 sacks last season with the Cardinals.

In the 2nd level, it was essentially Shaq Thompson and a bunch of misfits a year ago. Carolina not only lacked depth at linebacker but even production from former starter Tahir Whitehead. Brining in Reddick should help take the attention away from Burns on every snap and also shore up the linebacking unit. Frankie Luvu has been the biggest surprise this preseason as the former Jet has solidified a role in Phil Snow’s defense and is performing better than expected.

The secondary was filled with youth and inexperience in 2020 and it showed as the season moved along. To help bring those young pieces along, Carolina agreed to a deal with veteran A.J. Bouye. Bouye will be forced to miss the first two games of the season to finish out a suspension that he was given last year. First-round pick Jaycee Horn has looked as good as advertised and will start opposite of Donte Jackson, who is entering the final year of his rookie deal.

Jeremy Chinn has made the full-time switch from linebacker to safety which will prolong his career and allow him to make more plays on the ball. He finished his rookie year with 117 tackles, five QB hits, five pass breakups, two tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries for touchdowns, and one sack.

NEW YORK JETS

After a tumultuous two-win season in 2020, New York brought in a new head coach to replace Adam Gase, drafted a quarterback to take over for Sam Darnold and addressed countless weaknesses with talent on both sides of the ball in free agency.

As much as Gang Green's additions have brought positivity and hope to a suffering fan base, and a new culture under general manager Joe Douglas, that doesn't mean the Jets will contend right away. This is still a young and inexperienced franchise, working through stages of a rebuild while patiently waiting to capitalize on more draft picks over the next few years.

That said, the 2021 season is poised to be a stepping stone for those in green and white. Rookie quarterback Zach Wilson will have an opportunity to prove himself right away, surrounded by more weapons than his predecessor. Robert Saleh can adjust to his new spot on the sideline, building something special with his scheme and "All Gas, No Brake" mantra. Youngsters should develop with plenty of reps while rising stars can shine.

New York might not be playoff bound in '21, but this time next year—if all goes according to plan—they'll be a whole lot closer to snapping the league's longest postseason drought.

Offense

During Sam Darnold's three-year stint under center in New York, the signal-caller was often placed in situations where it was virtually impossible for him to succeed. Injuries, his supporting cast and his coaching staff—mixed with his own underperformance—were the perfect storm to create one of the worst passing offenses in all of football.

With the changes New York made this offseason, it's clear this franchise is working to avoid making the same mistakes they made during the Darnold era. The Jets restarted the clock at quarterback, using the second overall pick to reel in a potential superstar in Zach Wilson. Considering how impressive the BYU product has been during the preseason, the flashes he's shown during camp and his unmatched dedication and desire to be the best, all signs point to Wilson transitioning quickly to the next level.

What about those around him? The Jets added a top wide receiver in Corey Davis this offseason, drafted Elijah Moore (an absolute steal in the second round), bolstered Wilson's protection by trading up to pick guard Alijah Vera-Tucker in the first while adding a veteran (Tevin Coleman) and a young stud (Michael Carter) in free agency and the draft respectively. The rookie signal-caller should have ample targets at his disposal—let's not forget Keelan Cole, Jamison Crowder or Denzel Mims—with a running game and offensive line to help foster his success.

Finally, under coach Saleh and offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur, Wilson is in a scheme where he can flourish. There will be growing pains and adjustments, as is the case with every rookie quarterback and fresh coaching staff, but if they can get this right, New York will take a huge step in the right direction on offense in 2021.

Defense

Similar to Jets’ offense, New York made some big changes on defense this offseason as well.

It's a youth movement under Saleh and defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich, especially in the secondary. Electing to focus on the position later in the draft, while steering clear from adding any veterans in free agency, the Jets are rolling with a group of inexperienced defensive backs. At cornerback, rookies Michael Carter II, Brandin Echols, Jason Pinnock and Isaiah Dunn (undrafted) are poised to be on the receiving end of quite a bit of playing time, mixed in with the likes of second-year corners Bryce Hall and Javelin Guidry. New York even parted ways with Bless Austin (their most experienced corner) less than two weeks before the regular season to open more opportunities for those aforementioned newbies.

Marcus Maye will anchor the secondary from the safety position, but who knows how long he'll stick around after some drama in the offseason with his contract. Maye is playing this season under the franchise tag.

The defensive line was supposed to be this group's biggest strength and deepest position group on this side of the ball. It still is for the most part, but two gut-wrenching injuries certainly change the outlook. Edge rusher Carl Lawson looked like he was due for a career year, wreaking havoc in the backfield. He won't play a single snap, however, after a season-ending Achilles injury. Same goes for another free-agent acquisition, Vinny Curry, who will miss this season with a rare blood disorder. That puts more of an emphasis on returners like Quinnen Williams, John Franklin-Myers and Folorunso Fatukasi up front, flanked by Shaq Lawson who was brought in to help fill the void on the edge. Keep an eye on Bryce Huff this year, as well.

Again, this is a very young group. Quality offensive teams should be able to take care of business against them. But with Saleh's defensive-minded tutelage and some promising pieces, don't count this unit out.

 

Season Predictions and Depth Charts listed in links

Link(s): Carolina: https://www.si.com/nfl/panthers/gm-report/carolina-panthers-2021-season-preview

                 New York: https://www.si.com/nfl/jets/news/new-york-jets-regular-season-preview-nfl-2021

[Seltzer]

Thanks for posting.  Good information