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The Carolina Panthers face off with the Los Angeles Rams in Week 1 of the regular season. With their game coming up on Sunday, there are a lot of storylines to talk about.
However, one that can't be overlooked is a very simple one – the Rams are the favorites. As the underdogs, what do the Panthers need to do to leave Week 1 with a surprising 1-0 record?
Well it all starts with an X-Factor. Who will step up and help lead the team to victory? For the Panthers that's a loaded question.
The reason for that is because we shouldn't be asking which one player will be the X-Factor, but which group of players will be the X-Factor. That group, is the interior of the offensive line. Here's why they're the X-Factor for the Carolina Panthers in Week 1 vs. the Los Angeles Rams.
The Los Angeles Rams have a very scary defense. Their entire pass rush is a scary thing. However, there's a certain player that if you can contain him, you can gain some control. If I have to tell you that player's name, have you even watched football the last few years?
Of course, I'm talking about defensive tackle Aaron Donald. He's a wrecking ball. He can destroy an offense by himself, and makes everyone around him that much more dangerous.
Stopping him is nearly impossible, however if you can at least slow down Donald, you give your offense a chance.
See the issue is that Donald isn't just good in one asset of the game. He's a defensive tackle that will stop the run in the backfield, but also lead the NFL in sacks. He hits hard enough to cause a lot of fumbles, but is fast enough to chase down a lot of ball carriers. There's really nothing he can't do.
Due to that, Donald often finds himself getting blocked by multiple people. That's why I couldn't just put one name on this list.
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Instead, it will be up to three people, the two guards and the center. At left guard, the Panthers have Greg Van Roten. Meanwhile, Trai Turner is their right guard. Finally, Matt Paradis finds himself in the middle at center.
That's a pretty formidable trio. They should be up for the task of stopping Aaron Donald. The issue is that a lot of people appear up for the task – then game day happens.
If the Panthers can contain Donald though, good things can happen. Yes, the Rams have a lot of great defenders, but Donald is the centerpiece. Stop him and you can gain control again.
If the Panthers can keep Donald out of the backfield (for the most part) the game changes. Suddenly, your running game opens up slightly. Even more importantly, Cam Newton has time in the backfield. Giving your superstar quarterback a chance is all you usually need.
For the Panthers to win this game, they'll need to be on top of their game. That means the defense showing up to stop an elite offense. However, the offense needs to pull its weight as well.
You can't expect your running backs to do much or your quarterback to put up big numbers if they never get a chance. If Aaron Donald is running free, that's exactly what will happen. The running backs will see holes plugged up and defenders in the backfield far too often. Meanwhile, Newton will be chased around and never get much time to set himself.
Contain Donald, and the rest of the work is up to everyone else. That's why the X-Factor for the Carolina Panthers is so simple, but complicated, at the same time. If they want to beat the Los Angeles Rams in Week 1 of the regular season, they'll need the offensive linemen (specifically the interior offensive linemen) to make life easier for Cam Newton.
