Panthers pulled off the upset the first time against the Rams, and here are 3 reasons they can do it again

Who cares if the Carolina Panthers backed into the playoffs? Head coach Dave Canales isn’t worried about his team’s record. And since the Panthers pulled off the upset the first time against the Rams, here are three reasons that can do it again.

Let’s be honest about this situation. The Panthers are a big underdog. It seems like people don’t expect the Panthers to play the same way they did in the first meeting. Also, the majority of people seem to believe the Rams will play much better.

However, let’s explore what it would take for the Panthers to shock the Rams again.

QB Bryce Young must be ultra-efficient

In the first game, Young completed 15 of 20 passes. That’s the only time all season he hit on 70% or more of his pass attempts.

Furthermore, three of those 15 completions went for touchdowns. That’s 20%. The only other time he came close to that percentage was against the Cowboys. He completed 17 passes with three scores against them.

Seeing the trend? Panthers’ surprise wins come when Young soars.

Young must play not only above his season trend, but really above his career profile. It’s quite possible Young will need the best game of his career to push the Panthers over the top.

The Rams rank No. 10 in the NFL in scoring defense at 20.4 points per game. It’s hard to imagine the Panthers keeping the Rams’ offense from getting 20-plus points. So that means they will need to produce another outlier scoring game. The Panthers are only averaging 18.3 points a game.

The Panthers will have to run the ball better

On the season, the Panthers rank No. 18 in the NFL with 116.3 yards per game on the ground. Against the Rams, they totaled 164 yards on 40 attempts.

Chuba Hubbard rushed for a season-high 83 yards in that game. Rico Dowdle added 58 more. Young even chipped in with 23 yards, his fourth-highest total of the season.

If it sounds like everything fell into place for the Panthers in that contest, it should. That’s what happened.

But here’s a caveat: The Panthers could get right guard Robert Hunt back on the field this week. That could give them a big boost in putting together another solid rushing day. Canales said he’s optimistic that Hunt will start, according to ESPN.

“We’re not putting him out there part time,” Canales said. “If he’s playing, he’s playing. He’s fired up to help his teammates.”

Offensive coordinator Brad Idzik said Hunt would make a sizeable difference.

“He moves people,” Idzik said. “He has a dominating presence just lining up that people have to account for.”

And Hubbard agreed, saying, “One thing about Rob is just his energy and juice that’s kind of contagious. He loves the game. He gives it his all. So those are the guys you want on your team.”

Panthers WR Tetairoa McMillan must stand out

Tetairoa McMillan caught just one pass in the first meeting. Granted, it was a game-winning touchdown. But this time around, the Panthers can’t wait until the fourth quarter to get McMillan involved.

To have a shot, McMillan will need to be a central part of moving the football. His season-high in receptions is eight. McMillan will need to get close to that number.

McMillan is favored to win offensive rookie of the year. But he said that the award is secondary to the playoffs, according to panthers.com.

“Shoot, I mean, obviously it’s a blessing,” he said. “But out of all things that we were able to make the playoffs, we got a chance at doing something great in Charlotte that hasn’t been done in a long time. So, I feel like, you know, that, that holds a higher power than me being the leading favorite for the offensive rookie year.

“I mean, I feel like I’m different just because it’s my first year, so I don’t know what it’s like to miss the playoffs. I’m just grateful for every opportunity, man. We get to play another game and a chance at playing another game after that. So, just blessed.”

A lot of things need to go the Panthers’ way. That includes them defending Matthew Stafford well enough to keep him from picking them apart for score after score. But the Panthers have proven this season that they can be dangerous when counted out.

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