6 Things I Learned From Week 3 of the NFL Season

The Panthers May Not Be as Good as We Thought

Full disclosure: I was at this butt-whoopin' last night, as a Steeler fan, and it was fantastic.

But as an analyst, I need to be objective. Of course I'm excited about my Steelers getting the W against a 2-0 team, but a real development stemming from this contest was how Cam Newton just couldn't move his offense against an already-porous defense which lost three starters.

Entering the game, Carolina ranked dead last running the football in the league, while the Steelers were a bottom-of-the-barrel defense in terms of run-stopping ability. The Browns and Ravens were both able to run all over the Steelers in Weeks 1 and 2, and although the Panthers have been inefficient, it was clear that they needed to pound the rock to get a victory.

They ran the ball with their running backs 8 times.

Because the defense is the reason the Panthers were 2-0 in the first place, it's probably best for us to give them another chance. But the offense is what should be frightening for Carolina fans, as Cam Newton was constantly under pressure on Sunday night against a team that really hasn't forced pressure like that against any other team.

If the Panthers want to go places, they need to work on their rushing attack and offensive line play. Like, right now.