Carolina Panthers: How to Prepare Defense for Week 2 Matchup

The Carolina Panthers have an easier, but not guaranteed, game this Sunday on the road against the Buffalo Bills. Both teams began their season with a tough loss to teams who are respectively considered no. 1 in their division. However, It wasn’t a blow out for either team. Both teams looked good and Week 2 will be a great contest for fans to watch.

The Bills have an advantage in the fact that nobody is quite sure how to prepare against young quarterback E.J. Manuel. He looked very composed in Week 1, but their isn’t enough evidence to show what his major strengths and weaknesses are.

College football would be the best start for figuring him out, but the NFL is always a different story. Manuel has got some speed in those legs, and the Panthers have always struggled in the past with mobile quarterbacks. The Panthers’ defensive line will need to get pressure on the ball and force him to roll out of the pocket.

The Bills have had injuries on the offensive line, so expect the Panthers to break through and force Manuel to go down.

However, because Manuel has the potential to scramble, the Panthers need to keep a linebacker on watch. If Charles Johnson or Greg Hardy can’t bring him down, Manuel might think to run. He doesn’t have breakout speed like Michael Vick, so don’t expect 15 or more yard runs, but he can extend drives by getting the first down.

Also, the Carolina secondary needs to be aggressive. If Manuel is scrambling, they need to play aggressively and look for an opportunity to intercept a poorly thrown ball. Rookie quarterbacks tend to try and do too much and sometimes they can get carried away. The Panthers need turnovers if they expect to win this away game. Nothing will deflate the crowds in the stadium more than a fumble, interception, or even a sack against the Bills.

Next on the agenda is focusing on running back C.J. Spiller. He is an elite running back with high expectations this season. He looked fantastic in the preseason, but he didn’t play too well in Week 1.

This is a good sign for Panther fans. In Week 1, Carolina faced a premier running back in Marshawn Lynch and they held him to a very short game and kept him out of the end zone. The Panthers need a repeat performance from their front seven to plug up the hole and attack the ball carrier early at the line of scrimmage.

They can’t afford to let Spiller break outside the tackles and into open space because he is very fast and elusive. If the Panthers can shut down the run game early, the Bills will get frustrated and rely more on the pass game. That may be too much pressure on the rookie quarterback and the Panthers defense should thrive on it.

In defending the pass game, the Panthers shouldn’t have much of an issue with their secondary. The Bills have short depth at the receiving core, just like the Panthers. The Bills have a great option at receiver with Steve Johnson and a reliable tight end Scott Chandler. Johnson has caught for over 1,000 yards in his last three seasons with the bills. He is a deep threat option and is very athletic.

If the Panthers’ secondary can put pressure on the quarterback and double-team Johnson, the Panthers’ defense should win the battle.

So far, no other player on the Bills offense has posed a major threat to defenses. However, the Panthers can’t get too careless and let the backup receivers get open. If the Panthers defense can play to their potential and stop the run game, they have an excellent shot at winning this game.

Patrick Newton is a Carolina Panthers writer for Rant Sports.com. Follow him on Twitter @SirNewton17, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google