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CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Simply put, if the Carolina Panthers can't run the ball with any sort of effectiveness, they are going to struggle to win. Running the ball and controlling the game clock is the basis of their offense.
Over the last three games, which Carolina has been blown out in the last two, there has basically been no semblance of a ground attack, though it's not like it was great in Week 1, either.
All told, the running backs for the Panthers have rushed 81 times for a scant 233 yards and one touchdown. That equates to only 2.88 yards per carry. Just to put that in perspective, Pittsburgh ran for more yards against the Panthers in Week 3 than Carolina has totaled all season.
For a team that was built to run to football, what's going on?
"This is a different football team, that's the biggest thing," said Pro Bowl center Ryan Kalil. "It's different players. A lot of it is timing. A lot of it is experience. I wish I could give you one simple answer. It's not such an easy thing to (answer). There's a lot of reasons."
The two reasons that quickly jump to mind are all the injuries at running back â the top three are out with injuries â and a new and inexperienced offensive line.
And while it's true that the running backs have been plagued with injuries this season, it's also true that the offensive line has had major issues in opening up running lanes, which is something that was painfully evident even during the preseason.
Not having DeAngelo Williams, Jonathan Stewart and Mike Tolbert as the primary ball carriers has hurt the running game in ways that may not be obvious to the regular fan, Kalil said.
"There's a lack of experience there that takes time to kind of develop it," he said. "DeAngelo's had years and years of reading and patience and timing. All that stuff plays a big role in how your run the ball.
"It's not just you run here to that gap. There's a lot of little moving parts that go into that. And a guy that is more experienced, and a guy that's been in the system for a while tends to be better at running the ball."
It's also true that the offensive line entered the season as the biggest question mark.
With essentially four new players along the line, two of whom were signed as undrafted-drafted free agents, it's been a struggle since the outset of training camp for them to pass protect and run block.
Even with all the issues, Kalil believes it's just a matter of time before everything will fall into place as the line finds continuity and success, and the running backs get back healthy.
The return of the surging running game, however, isn't expected to reappear this week against Chicago as fourth-team tailback Fozzy Whittaker and rookie Darrin Reaves, who was signed off the practice squad last week, will get the carries.
"I like where it's going," he said. "I think it's getting better each week. Obviously, a big thing, too, is not having all your running backs, not that the next guys can't do it. But I think we're a better run team when we have DeAngelo and we have Jonathan and we have Tolbert.
"Even in last week's game, we were running the ball well and doing a lot of good things. DeAngelo going down hurt us. He's a really good running back."
