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The Panthers face off against America's darlings at their home stadium this coming Sunday. With the Panthers boasting a 3-0 record and the Cowboys a 2-1 and their only loss being against the former Superbowl Champs, this is a game that comes with both fanbases being quite confident in their respective teams. 

This by no means will be an easy game for the good guys. While they have come across a resounding win against the Saints who have turned over and been prolific against the Packers and Patriots, they also took advantage of relatively poorer teams in the Jets and Texans. Even with the Saints win, there are questions as to whether their injuries and coaching woes played the biggest role in those loses. Additionally, the Panthers are entering without their top RB in Christian McCaffrey and shut down rookie sensation in Jaycee Horn. 

Nevertheless, the Panthers have certainly dominated each of the opponents that they went up against. With the defense rushing their way to top of the league in historic fashion, plus having never trailed any of their opponents, they are showing they can dominate when they should. That hopefully continues this Sunday.

Overall, it will be a tough game, and the Panthers need to continue their dominance against the best team they'll be facing so far. In order to win, here's three things the Panthers need to consider to win this Sunday:

1. Big Explosive Plays - Involve Robby Anderson

One of the main items I want to see happen is Sam Darnold getting the ball down deep. The Cowboys defense has allowed a league high of 27 explosive plays so far this season. With the Cowboy's weakness being defending the big plays, the Panthers need to capitalize.

Enter Robby Anderson.

So far this season, he hasn't shown much on the highlight reels. Despite one fascinating huge play against the Jets, he has largely been silent in his play. I believe this largely has to do with the offensive line, being one of the worst in the league at win percentage. Matt Rhule recently said that he wants to get Robby more involved, and I expect to see that happen.

Checking out the film against the Texans, Robby was open quite a bit. Sam Darnold unfortunately did not progress through his reads to have these kinds of openings in his sights, but if he's given time in the pocket and the green light to prioritize explosive plays, well I certainly expect to see Anderson being a big target. He can and has taken the cleats off of defensive backs and should be a big factor against the Cowboys middling pass defense.

While the Panthers offensive line has limited how many deep plays the Panthers can do, with the Cowboys defense not being as good as the Saints and Texans respectively, I expect to see our WRs more involved. Hell, especially with Christian McCaffrey being out they need to show that they aren't just reliant on him to generate good offense and let the other talented WRs feast.

Robby Anderson should especially see more targets. It is clear as day that he will. Sam Darnold needs to capitalize on the explosive opportunities that come up and use it to the Panthers advantage. With the Cowboys allowing each QB they've faced so far to 300+ passing yards, here's to Sam Darnold continuing that streak.

2. Panthers Defense - Stop the Pass

On the flip side, the Cowboys also have an arsenal of pass catchers and a great QB at the helm. They have generated their fair share of big plays through the air, and given the Panthers crippled secondary this will be their biggest test yet. On the bright side, the Cowboys do not have the most stout offensive line. Their center is a turnstile and largely incompetent at the position. Our pass rush should have a field day against them, with Phil Snow dialing up confusion and destruction that'll keep their oline turning heads.

However, if our secondary cannot keep up with the Cowboys pass catchers, all that effort by the front seven will be for naught.

Dak Prescott gets the ball out at an average of 2.7 seconds. He can and will get the ball out quick and I expect to see a lot of these slice and dice plays.

For those of you worrying about the Cowboys rushing threat, hell, that is negligible. Against the Chargers, they had their guys go for 180+ rushing yards, yet the game was still pretty close. Their defense schemed against the pass threat of Dallas and that worked a decent bit better than worrying about the rush despite their loss. 

Just look at the Buccaneers as well for that: they stopped the Cowboys running game, but they barely squeaked by and the Cowboys had plenty of offensive power through Dak's arm. The only reason the Bucs really won was through a massive talent gap disparity and things going their way, plus Tom Brady. 

Nevertheless, it is clear that the Cowboys rushing attack isn't the thing to most fear about their offense.

Of course, even then, I expect our front seven to shut down any run game they try and muster. Hell, I hope that is what Dallas focuses on trying to establish, but I doubt that is their plan going into this game. Against the Bucs, they hardly had any success on the ground, but were able to keep it real close thanks to their ability to pass.

As such, it is imperative that they shut down that facet of the game down the best they can. Dak is a lot better than the other QBs we have faced at blitz recognition and getting the ball out fast. I expect that to be their primary offensive attack to answer for this unpredictable pass rush.

The silver lining is, Dak still isn't perfect. Despite more obvious blitz and formations from the Eagles, Dak still suffered through multiple sacks that honestly were self inflicted from holding onto the ball too long. If the Panthers can keep Dak to that and cover well enough to give enough time for the pass rush to feast, Dak will have a hard time getting any offense going. 

With that being said, I am optimistic the Panthers will indeed live up to the challenge. The fact of the matter is, Phil Snow is a genius. He is no slouch and I am sure he has a defensive gameplan ready to give Dak nightmares. Hell, Burns said it himself - the defense isn't scared, and they are ready. I am confident Snow's ready for whatever they try and throw at him and I expect the Panthers to take advantage.

3. Win the turnover battle

Another big key. The Panthers have to execute well and win the turnover battle. The Cowboys defense tops the NFL in turnover differential, with +5 and boasting a total of 8 turnovers, only ahead of the Saints by 1. Part of the reason the Cowboys have been prolific is thanks to a defense that keys in on creating turnovers. 

Offensively, the Panthers need to keep their mistakes to a minimum. In the past few games, Sam Darnold has had a few scares with ball security that could've ended up much worse. While they have been decent enough so far, they need to continue playing mistake-free football against this team that loves capitalizing on them. The offensive line should also get better to avoid these scenarios from happening, but I have low hope on that front.

As long as Joe Brady keeps to what's working and helps scheme around the offensive line, as well as keeping things simple for Darnold, hopefully we won't be turning the ball over as much. Additionally, hopefully our defense can capitalize on some mistakes Dak could make and start racking up turnovers.

Either way, it is crucial the Panthers execute well on this front and don't let Dallas run away with these turnovers, which have been a big part of the reason Dallas is successful right now.

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Overall, this is a winnable game. The Panthers have the superior front seven, and most importantly coaching. They need to attack Dallas' weaknesses with great force, while ensuring they are not making the same. Simple stuff to say, but harder to prove on the field.

Ultimately, this is the Panthers first big challenge of the year. To prove they are contenders with a big chance at the playoffs rather than pretenders, a win here would help do that. 

The shipwreck of injuries that came due to the onslaught of the injury bug was not kind at all to the Panthers. Losing Christian McCaffrey while only up by one point at the half was a soulcrusher that almost killed off all hope.

Nevertheless, Sam Darnold stayed firm.

Coming into this game, the Panthers were lucky to face two depleted teams - one bottom of the league's barrel, and the other riddled with their own covid and injury woes. Carolina took them by storm as they should.

However, the question remained: could the Panthers comeback when faced with adversity of their own, and more importantly is Sam Darnold right for the job?

Well, this crippled ship took sail once more the next half and Sam Darnold was more than impressive.

With the Texans manhandling our soft o-line, Darnold stood firm and poised. Throwing for 300+ yards and accounting for two touchdowns, he did not let the wreckage around him bring him down. Rather, he took charge and was effective in the most perilous of conditions, from the stormy rains of tight coverage and big time throws, to facing off against the crashing waves of that defensive front.

He looked like a true leader and franchise QB. Despite the odds pointing against the Panthers, he did not falter and took up the challenge. He managed the offense efficiently and made big plays to will the Panthers to a win.

This game right here is proof that Sam Darnold may be the greatest QB the Panthers have had since 2018, and answered whether they could handle adversity. He took charge and was effective.

For the price of a second round pick, this captain of this cripped team is well worth it. Hoping to see further improvement and more the same in weeks to follow, when the waves get more rough against much tougher teams and more tests are to be overcome.

Give it up for Darnold; he has shown he has what it takes. 

One of the best reads I've seen on the Panthers defense and just how formidable it already it (shoutout @ellis for posting on twitter). Phil Snow is an absolute mastermind with the players we have on defense and it shows.

https://matchquarters.substack.com/p/the-multiplicity-of-the-panthers

The article goes in-depth concerning just how many versatile packages Phil Snow ran with this group. 

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As stated, though Carolina bases from a 4-3, they don’t live it. The multiplicity allows the Panthers to match up their athletes against those of the offense. In their first two games, the Panthers have used several alignments to match their opponent.

Despite their 4-3 base, they never truly stick with it. The article highlights many different looks the Panthers have employed - a testament to the formidibility and talent of the players, as well as the ingenuity of Phil Snow.

Personnel packages the article highlights from the first two games include:

* 3-4

* 5-1

* 4-3

* 4-2-5 (Big Nickel)

* 4 Down Dime

I highly recommend reading the article and just how effective the Panthers are in these various formations. It's an incredible sight to behold.

Another interesting nugget is seeing the parallels Snow is making with this group and how his approach and success in college is showcasing a similar path in Carolina:

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Snow has been handed the keys to a highly athletic group. For most of Snow’s career, it has been the second or third year when his defenses begin to jump. The trend is no different in Charlotte. His ability to adapt to his surroundings and personnel have made him one of the top college DCs, and now it appears he is one of the best in the NFL. What is strikingly clear in the first two weeks of the ‘21 season is that Snow will use his athletic personnel in multiple ways. 

The adaptability of Snow was no more clear than his final year at Baylor. Within the first two years, Rhule and Snow knew they had a problem. The Big 12 was eating them up on defense, and a change needed to be made. The experiment in Ames with the 3-3-3 was now taking over the Big 12. Snow decided to try his hand at the system, and it paid dividends. 

Moving to the NFL, many asked if the 3-3-5 would follow. It did, but by no means is it the Panthers’ base. Instead, Snow has learned from experiences at the college game how to develop a hybrid defense, and the ‘21 season appears to be a culmination of his adaptability as a coach. He now has the personnel to be as creative as he wants.

Just incredible seeing that Snow's approach is methodical and effective. He has a clear vision that bore fruit in Baylor, and now it appears that same approach is about to take the NFL by storm.

Ultimately, the article concludes that the versatility and possibilities of these defense make it one that's a huge headache for any offense to keep up with and likely one that few will have an answer to for a long while:

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The Panthers’ ability to be multiple and get their hybrids into situations to win their matchups is what has stood out in this young year. The additions and development of several players on defense have opened Snow’s playbook and creativity. Opposing offenses will have to deal with a defense that can match most packages that they throw at it. Only time will tell if the Panthers will remain at the top of the NFL standings in defense, but if history has proven anything, Phil Snow has a knack for turning around defenses and putting top groups together. 

We are seeing in Carolina a culmination of Phil Snow’s experience at the college level and being flexible when needed. In addition, his ability to create a defense that highlights his players' strengths is something all coaches can study. As the 2021 season gets rolling, the Panthers have already made noise and barring injury, and it looks like they are here to stay for the time being. 

 

This is a defense to get excited for. Phil Snow built a juggernaut of versatility that will be exciting to see.