Panthers Take On Dolphins in Week 6 Matchup

Panthers Take On Dolphins in Week 6 Matchup

Time Stamp: October 14, 2023 10:40 AM
Source Node: 2327204

It’s been about as poor of a start as you could imagine for this new era of Panthers football, and things will only get more challenging this week. They head to Miami to face the 4-1 Dolphins, in hopes of claiming their first win of the season. The Dolphins offense has been electric thus far, boasting a collection of the fastest players in the NFL. If Carolina hopes to pull off the upset they’ll have to find a way to slow them down, while exploiting a hit-or-miss defense. 

Quarterback Matchup

It’ll be a duel of former Alabama signal-callers as Bryce Young and Tua Tagovailoa lead their respective teams into battle. It’s been a tough start to Young’s career, with seemingly everything going wrong around him. He hasn’t been phenomenal by any means, but he’s been presented with a situation where success is hard to find.

As for Tagovailoa, he’s had the best year of his career thus far. He’s led the Dolphins to four wins in five games, making use of his speedy pass-catchers. A bit of good news for the Panthers is that Miami pass-rusher Jaelan Phillips is questionable for the game. His absence would mean one less terror for a weakened Panthers offensive line to take on.

Additional Injuries

Aside from Phillips’ potentially missing the game, the Dolphins will be without their stud rookie running back. De’Von Achane has burst on to the scene over the last few weeks, quickly making a name for himself before being sidelined with a knee injury.

As for Carolina, injuries have been the primary storyline of the season. Jaycee Horn, Miles Sanders, Austin Corbett, Chandler Zavala, Shaq Thompson, Von Bell and Xavier Woods are all out for the week six matchup. Brian Burns and Derrick Brown are also questionable, meaning the defense could be in shambles as they face the top offense in the league. 

Running Backs

With Miles Sanders sidelined due to a shoulder injury, Chuba Hubbard will likely get the majority of snaps in Miami this week. The third-year back out of Oklahoma State has seen games with big snap shares over the course of his young career, and will be shouldering a heavy load after some quiet games to start the season.

Laviska Shenault, typically a wide receiver, has also seen some action in the run game recently. The Panthers could look to split between Hubbard and Shenault this week, especially if they hope to match Miami’s speed. Shenault was effective on the ground last week against the Lions, recording 5.4 yards per carry across five touches. 

Season Outlook

Things are pretty bleak for the Panthers as of now, even before being tasked with stopping this elite offense. They just suffered their biggest loss of the season, and sit winless through five outings. No team has ever made the playoffs after starting 0-5, and the Panthers haven’t shown any signs of being the first.

They’re also the only winless team in the entire league as things stand, meaning their pick would be the first overall in the next draft. This would be a bright spot, if not for the fact that the Bears acquired that pick in the Young trade. No wins and no pick is a bad place to be, especially given the expectation of a corner-turning season taking place this year.

If things don’t turn around soon, you have to begin to wonder about Frank Reich’s job security, even though it’s just his first season in Carolina. It’s far too early to give up on Young, especially given the situation he’s been placed in, but Reich is a different story. If things continue to unravel, it might not be too early to look elsewhere for a head coach.

Final Thoughts

The Dolphins are favored by two touchdowns for this matchup, and understandably so. In week three Miami defeated the Broncos 70-20, nearly breaking the NFL single-game scoring record. With injuries piling up, the Panthers could suffer a similar fate if things go south quickly in this game.

They’ll hope to shock the world and turn the corner in order to get their season back on track. It’s a great opportunity to send a surge of optimism through a franchise that desperately needs it. With everything they’re dealing with heading into this one though, it’s hard to imagine this is the week.

More from The Game Haus:

Stay tuned for additional NFL coverage, and check out more sports and gaming content on The Game Haus!

Featured image courtesy of the Carolina Panthers.

“From Our Haus to Yours“

Time Stamp:

More from The Games Haus