Carolina Panthers Need Success With Running Back By Committee

ByRaphael Garcia|

The Carolina Panthers pulled out a win with tough defense in their season opener. As they move into week two against the Houston Texans, questions still swirl around whether or not the Panthers’ offense can light up the scoreboard enough to keep this team relevant. One of the reasons is because their running game doesn’t have the spark of previous seasons. As Carolina continues to shape itself this season, their new running by committee setup has to quickly improve.

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Historically the Panthers have offered a “run first” type of offense. The years under John Fox and now with Ron Rivera consistently put forth a unit that was built to run the ball until the opposing defense couldn’t take it anymore. One dependable aspect of their running back core is that the team frequently lacked a “big name” running back that did most of the lifting. Instead, the organization was able to put together a stable of backs that would get the job done together.

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The most well-known pair was the combination of DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart. These men are 1 and 2 on the Panthers All-Time rushing leaderboard. With Williams moving on to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Stewart is still in Charlotte looking to set the stage with a new base of players.

It’s clear what Stewart can do. He’s a powerful back that can move the pile. He had a few important games against Jacksonville in the season opener in which he hit a hole in the line very quickly to explode for a big game, including his longest gain of 22 yards.

The question is whether or not he can continually do this as the Panthers look to cement their offensive line. Outside of Michael Oher and Ryan Kalil this is a relatively young unit that is a work in progress. For Stewart to be widely successful they will have to play beyond their years of experience.

Aug 28, 2015; Charlotte, NC, USA; New England Patriots strong safety Jordan Richards (37) tries to put a stop to Carolina Panthers running back Cameron Artis-Payne (34) during the second half at Bank of America Stadium. New England wins 17-16 over the Panthers. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

This is where rookie Cameron Artis-Payne must work his way into the equation. While at Auburn he proved that he has the ability to grab massive amounts of yardage. In 2014 he averaged an impressive 5.3 yards per attempt while collecting 1608 total yards and 13 touchdowns.

He factors into this equation as the best option for a “replacement” to Williams ability to break big plays around the end. Stewart and Mike Tolbert are big backs to break down short yardage type gains. Artis-Payne should be considered the “speed” option in this core of Carolina tailbacks.

Cam Newton and Fozzy Whittaker are two other parts to this running game. However, Rivera hopes that Newton runs less this year in order to lower the amount of damage the franchise quarterback suffers while scrambling.

“The thing I really liked is he’s learned to get down,” Rivera is quoted by David Newton of ESPN. “He knows when to take it and slide. He knows when to dive for it. He knows when to run out of bounds. Do I really want him running the ball 14 times? No.”

Still, Newton has the ability to break out a huge gain with his legs and his arms. This is a skill set that every defense will have to recognize whenever he lines up this season.

The Carolina offense is already down a number of weapons as the second game of the year approaches. When it comes to running the ball Carolina will employ a committee push the ball down the field. As an organization this has been successful to an extent in the past. In 2015 the unit features new faces but the need is still the same: control the pace of play. If this unit and the offensive line come together, the Panthers have the ability to surprise some fans and experts alike.

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