The Sudden Disappearance of Takeaways

For some reason, the Panthers have stopped forcing turnovers as of late. They had 15 takeaways (11 interceptions, four lost fumbles) through the first eight games of the season, but haven’t forced even one over the past three weeks.

Over that same span, Carolina’s offense has turned the ball over four times. That’s not a huge number, but three of those turnovers have led to touchdowns for the opposition. That means opposing teams have scored seven points off 75 percent of the Panthers turnovers over the past three weeks.

For the Panthers to get out of the middle of the pack in takeaways — they’re tied with the New York Jets for 15th in the NFL in that category — they are going to have to get more pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Carolina has just 25 sacks in 11 games this season, tied with the Cleveland Browns for 23rd in the league. That highlights the fact that the Panthers aren’t pressuring opposing passers nearly as much as they have in the past.

If the Panthers can get more pressure on opposing QBs, it will increase their chances of forcing bad throws. And one turnover can sometimes snowball into two and then three and then four. They just need to force one takeaway and go from there, and Sunday’s game against Tampa Bay could be the perfect time for them to get off the schneid.

The Buccaneers have more giveaways than any other team in the NFL with 29 (23 interceptions, six lost fumbles). That’s six more than the Jets, who are second in that category. Not only that, but they turned the ball over twice the last time they played the Panthers on Nov. 4.

Coincidentally, that was the last time Carolina won. So a trip to Tampa Bay could prove to be just what the doctor ordered for the Panthers.

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