The Panthers have the worst run defense in the NFL, and head coach Dave Canales knows what that means for opposing teams game planning against them.
Up next for the Panthers is a game on Thursday night against the Packers, who have the most pass-heavy offense in the NFL. Canales said today that after giving up 258 rushing yards on Sunday against the Buccaneers, he knows that the Packers will be excited by the opportunity to play against them. That means both trying to run the ball with Josh Jacobs, and trying to have Jordan Love beat them deep if the Panthers overcompensate for their run defense struggles by stacking the box.
“Collectively, as a group, we have to be locked in to what they’re going to try to do and how they’re going to attack us,” Canales said. “I’m sure they’re watching the game and they’re seeing 250 yards on the ground, and that’s got to be appealing. For me, as an offensive-minded coach, I think about that and say, ‘We can set some things up down the field by making sure we have a run game going.’ That would be my approach, so I do expect them to run the ball, and we do expect Jordan to heave the ball down the field just like he does, and challenge the back half of our defense as well.”
The Packers, who have only had Jacobs for one game this season, have not run the ball well. Having the Panthers’ defense come to town could be just the thing to fix that.