CHARLOTTE — A lot of things went right for the Panthers in their Week 2 win over the Atlanta Falcons, but so much of it worked because they were able to shut down Bijan Robinson; well, shut down relative to what Robinson does to most teams. The group held him to 72 yards on 16 rushes and nine yards on three receptions (He has 386 scrimage yards and three touchdowns in his other two games.)
Now another versatile back is showing up on the game plan, and Carolina will have to stop Jahmyr Gibbs. The Lions' do-it-all guy finished with 1,800-plus scrimmage yards the last two seasons.
"The speed is real, good vision," began linebacker Devin Lloyd this week, listing off Gibbs strengths. "I mean, he's got all the ability in the world and his ability to catch the ball too, whether it's out of the backfield or splitting him up outside of the backfield. He's a do-it-all running back."
Thus far this year, Gibbs — who has picked up 307 yards on the ground and 156 yards through the air — accounts for 39.7 percent of the Lions' total offense and has scored six of Detroit's 12 touchdowns.
But the Panthers, bolstered by a historic performance from Lloyd, have already stopped one do-it-all back this season. So is there a temptation to copy-paste that game plan?
"Yeah, that's a good question," defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero mused. "There's going to be aspects of that game plan that we would like to transfer over. They're similar from the skill set. They're both great runners. They're both good as receivers. They're both good in protection.
"So they create a lot of challenges and problems, and we know that their coaches do a good job of getting to them, getting them to those featured spots, and so there'll certainly be aspects of the game plan that I would like to carry over."
At the end of the day, though, every game exists in a vacuum. You can't just change the team name at the top of a game plan and roll out the same plays. But simply having done it already this season provides some confidence.
"Obviously, the pieces around them are different. So, we know there's going to be some other challenges that Lions present, different from the Falcons, but great players; they are challenges in a lot of different aspects," said Evero.
Added Lloyd, "Different offenses, different quarterbacks, different mentality as far as how they want to attack defenses, but as far as the ability. I mean, they're both elite, so you do have that level of comparison, as far as you know, two of the best in the league."
Brad Idzik wants to bring balance to the offense
The Panthers have run 196 total offensive plays through three weeks. Only 67 have been runs: 22 each against the Bears and the Falcons, and 23 against the Lions.
And offensive coordinator Brad Idzik knows that's probably not enough.
Game situations and opponent tendencies have dictated some of that, but Idzik said Thursday he was aware of the imbalance, and that even though Bryce Young is moving it downfield and leads the league in passing yards, it hasn't come together yet.
"I'm well aware of the past tendencies, the first three weeks, in general," he said. "I know what those, those self-scout numbers are, and I can't wait to play into those and make sure the defense is honoring both sides of the ball."
Idzik mentioned the lone touchdown drive in Cleveland, on which some early runs helped set up the play-action keeper on which Bryce Young was able to find John Metchie open, the kind of complementary football they need. Of course, not having so many penalties up front would also help, especially against a Lions offense that can score points in bulk.
"I think it's obvious they have an explosive offense, and they have for a couple of years now, but, really, we just look inward," Idzik said. "Like this is something that I want us to be able to hang our hat on. The two things I want to address and make sure that we get after this week is disciplined football, taking care of the penalties so we're ahead of the sticks so we can run the football and we can play balanced football.
"I think the first couple of weeks, that was putting us in a context where we needed to get more yards back than maybe an efficient run would get us back into. It's still a third-and-long once we have penalties. But on top of that, yeah, we want to move the sticks. We want to keep the defense off the field. An explosive offense is great, and I'll always fight to get those explosives, but some time and possession is not going to be a bad thing either. So that will come with us staying ahead of the sticks, with us playing clean with our hands, but then also me finding the right flavor of run-pass mix."
Martin continues to be huge weapon for special teams
Sam Martin has always been a weapon for the Panthers; years of experience and game knowledge will do that for you. But the punter has kept adding to his tool bag, throwing in new directions, velocities, and looks that let special teams coordinator Tracy Smith have fun with the rest of his unit.
"We do a lot of things formationally that help him, and he adjusts to all that really well," explained Smith on Thursday. "He handles that. There's not a lot of punters that can handle motion in front of them or this, or he's forced to punt this way because of the certain way we're standing, all of those things, and Sam's always up for stuff like that."
Even while facing pressure (which Martin has seen twice on 10 punts through three games), the veteran has handled it well, with no blocks. And Smith's freedom to move his coverage team around has resulted in just three of the 10 punts being returned, for 31 total yards (tied for sixth-fewest in the league through Week 3). Seven fair catches have lost yards because the opponent was forced to backpedal for a punt.
"He's done a great job. He's a good hang time punter. He can still hit for distance and direction. He has a few mixers, so he's challenging to deal with," said Smith.
The "mixers" are punts that either curve, twist, or do something other than what a normal punt is supposed to do. Martin used one against Cleveland last week, colloquially called a banana punt because of the shape it takes in the air.
The Browns returner couldn't field it, and it rolled out of bounds at the nine-yard line. Despite a 13-play drive, Cleveland couldn't overcome the bad field position and punted.
It was a result of Martin and Smith's partnership: the former's knowledge of the game and the latter's subsequent knowledge and respect for his veteran punter.
"During each drive, every time our offense has the ball, I'll go consult with Sam: 'What are we doing this drive? What punts are you comfortable with?' So he kind of gives me my menu of options once we get to this certain yard line or this certain yard line; we keep up with each other as far as what's available to him," explained Smith.
"So he's been open to this year. He's been really practicing all kinds of punts, and he's ready to kick those in the games. He did it quite a bit this preseason, so he's feeling great about it.
"So that was just a situation in the game. Like, Sam, what are the options here? And he said, 'Well, we can hit a banana now or this or that.' I said, 'OK, let's do it.' It just happened to match the game situation."
The Lions punt returner this season has been Tom Kennedy. He's returned four punts for 46 yards and fair-caught four others. And if the weather report holds — currently calling for an 85 percent chance of rain on Sunday, Smith likes his weapons.
"He's punted in all the conditions," Smith said of Martin. "Love that we have an 80 percent chance of rain this weekend, and Sam is not blinking on that because he came out of years in Buffalo on his way here. So all of those things are really comforting to coach. He's always done a nice job with that."
Ahead of Sunday night's black out against the Detroit Lions, check out a historical collection of photos of all the times the Panthers have worn all black uniforms over the past few seasons.
Carolina Panthers defensive tackle Derrick Brown (95) encourages the crowd to get loud during an NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons, Thursday, Nov. 10 2022, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Brian Westerholt)
Carolina Panthers cornerback Jaycee Horn (8) lines up on defense during an NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons, Thursday, Nov. 10 2022, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Brian Westerholt)
Carolina Panthers offensive tackle Ikem Ekwonu (79) plays against Atlanta Falcons linebacker Lorenzo Carter (9) during an NFL football game on Thursday, Nov. 10, 2022, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)
Carolina Panthers offensive tackle Ikem Ekwonu (79) plays against Atlanta Falcons linebacker Lorenzo Carter (9) during an NFL football game on Thursday, Nov. 10, 2022, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)
Carolina Panthers cornerback Jaycee Horn (8) celebrates during an NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday, Nov. 10, 2022, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)
Carolina Panthers cornerback Jaycee Horn (8) celebrates during an NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday, Nov. 10, 2022, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)
Carolina Panthers offensive tackle Ikem Ekwonu (79) plays against the Atlanta Falcons during an NFL football game on Thursday, Nov. 10, 2022, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)
Carolina Panthers punter Johnny Hekker (10) has a Salute to Service sticker on his helmet during an NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons, Thursday, Nov. 10 2022, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Brian Westerholt)
Carolina Panthers cornerback Jaycee Horn (8) during warm ups prior to an NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons, Thursday, Nov. 10 2022, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Brian Westerholt)
Carolina Panthers offensive tackle Ikem Ekwonu (79) looks up at the video board prior to an NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons, Thursday, Nov. 10 2022, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Brian Westerholt)
The Carolina Panthers debuted a black helmet for their NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons, Thursday, Nov. 10 2022, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Brian Westerholt)
Carolina Panthers offensive tackle Ikem Ekwonu (79) looks up at the video board prior to an NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons, Thursday, Nov. 10 2022, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Brian Westerholt)
Carolina Panthers cornerback Jaycee Horn (8) lines up on defense during an NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons, Thursday, Nov. 10 2022, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Brian Westerholt)
Carolina Panthers offensive tackle Taylor Moton (72) during an NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons, Thursday, Nov. 10 2022, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Brian Westerholt)
Carolina Panthers offensive tackle Ikem Ekwonu (79) lines up on offense during an NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons, Thursday, Nov. 10 2022, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Brian Westerholt)
Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard (30) warms up before an NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)
Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard (30) warms up before an NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)
Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) looks on before an NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)
Carolina Panthers cornerback Jaycee Horn (8) plays against the Atlanta Falcons during an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)
Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) looks on before an NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)
Carolina Panthers cornerback Jaycee Horn (8) plays against the Atlanta Falcons during an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)
Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard (30) warms up before an NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)
Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) warms up before an NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)
Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young runs against the Atlanta Falcons during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)
Carolina Panthers wide receiver Ihmir Smith-Marsette (11) plays against the Atlanta Falcons during an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)
Carolina Panthers wide receiver Ihmir Smith-Marsette (11) plays against the Atlanta Falcons during an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)
Carolina Panthers wide receiver Ihmir Smith-Marsette (11) plays against the Atlanta Falcons during an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)
Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) plays against the Atlanta Falcons during an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)
Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) plays against the Atlanta Falcons during an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)
Carolina Panthers cornerback Jaycee Horn (8) plays against the Atlanta Falcons during an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)
Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) plays against the Atlanta Falcons during an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)
Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) walks off the field after defeating the Atlanta Falcons during an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)
Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard (30) plays during an NFL football game between the Carolina Panthers and the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)
Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales talks with quarterback Bryce Young (9) during an NFL football game between the Carolina Panthers and the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)
Carolina Panthers wide receiver David Moore (83) tries to make a catch while covered by Kansas City Chiefs safety Nazeeh Johnson (13) during an NFL football game between the Carolina Panthers and the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)
Kansas City Chiefs safety Nazeeh Johnson (13) tries to tackle Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard (30) during an NFL football game between the Carolina Panthers and the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)
Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) looks on during an NFL football game between the Carolina Panthers and the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)
Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) looks to pass during an NFL football game between the Carolina Panthers and the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)
Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard (30) runs with the ball during an NFL football game between the Carolina Panthers and the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)
Kansas City Chiefs safety Justin Reid (20) tries to tackle Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard (30) during an NFL football game between the Carolina Panthers and the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)
Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard (30) runs off the field after losing to the Kansas City Chiefs during an NFL football game between the Carolina Panthers and the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)
Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) warms up on the sideline during an NFL Football game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024, in Charlotte, N.C. The Chiefs defeated the Panthers 30-27. (AP Photo/Brian Westerholt)
Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) warms up on the sideline during an NFL Football game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024, in Charlotte, N.C. The Chiefs defeated the Panthers 30-27. (AP Photo/Brian Westerholt)
Carolina Panthers wide receiver Xavier Legette (17) lines up on offense during an NFL Football game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024, in Charlotte, N.C. The Chiefs defeated the Panthers 30-27. (AP Photo/Brian Westerholt)
Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard (30) warms up before an NFL football game between the Carolina Panthers and the Kansas City Chiefs, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)
Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) works against the Kansas City Chiefs during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)
Carolina Panthers tight end Tommy Tremble (82) runs on to the field carrying an American Flag prior to an NFL Football game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Brian Westerholt)
Carolina Panthers wide receiver David Moore (83) runs a route during an NFL Football game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024, in Charlotte, N.C. The Chiefs defeated the Panthers 30-27. (AP Photo/Brian Westerholt)
