Steelers - Panthers Preview & Predictions

Story by Yinzer Crazy Featured Steelers Contributor Adam Davidson. Follow him on Twitter @Adam_J_Davidson



If there was any redeeming quality overlooked in the loss to the Baltimore Ravens last Sunday, it’s that the Steelers know for certain who their quarterback is.

If there was any lingering hope for Mitch Trubisky being retained beyond 2022 going into the Ravens game, that hope was extinguished by the end of regulation. Or perhaps by the third interception. Kenny Pickett is the guy, and he is setting himself up for a productive 2023 offseason as the de facto QB1.

With that said, 2022 is not over yet. While it may be too late for redemption stories in this Steelers’ season, there are plenty of individual players looking to redeem themselves for poor performances and not meeting the lofty expectations of Steelers Nation. While realistic hopes for a Wild Card berth may be too far gone in the rearview mirror, plenty of Steelers will play for pride in what is essentially a no-win situation heading into Sunday.

The Carolina Panthers, one of the worst teams in the worst division in football, have floundered while transitioning to interim head coach Steve Wilks and starting multiple quarterbacks throughout 2022. However, the Panthers have resisted the urge to tank this season and build for the future as many talking heads assumed they would. They’ve now won two straight, and are looking to make it three straight at home versus a Steelers squad on its last legs. Winning out would give Carolina a chance at both winning the division and reaching the playoffs - not too bad for a team left dead in the water after the failed Baker Mayfield experiment that paved the way once more for Sam Darnold under center.

Back in 2018, the idea of a team fortified at quarterback with both Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold would’ve been too wild and outlandish to be believed, but that’s just how it turned out. The only difference now is that Mayfield and Darnold are nowhere near the prospects many thought they would be. Mayfield’s now on his third different team and rewriting his career once again with the LA Rams. And after starting two games in a row for Carolina, Darnold’s corrected course with the Panthers after defeating both the Broncos and Seahawks.

Simply put, the Panthers are an ascending team making the most out of their situation while the Steelers have consistently underachieved and underperformed. In this sense, there are almost too many redemption stories to be counted for Carolina, whether the story centers on journeyman head coach or journeyman quarterback. For the Steelers, it’s about one quarterback in particular, one also drafted in 2018 who’s aiming to build upon his resume for the upcoming offseason.

All season long, Mason Rudolph has sat patiently behind Pickett and Trubisky, often bargaining for reps as the clear third-stringer on Pittsburgh’s depth chart. Now, with starter Kenny Pickett limited in practice all week and Mitch Trubisky more out the door than in, an opening for Rudolph to start behind center has emerged. Trubisky and Rudolph even shared first-team reps in practice this week with Mike Tomlin extolling Rudolph’s value as a backup, proclaiming him option “2-A” to Trubisky’s “2.”

His teammates have certainly rallied around the possibility of Rudolph starting, with Diontae Johnson singing the former OSU Cowboy’s praises and even going as far as to say he wants to see Rudolph play.

The ringing endorsements from coach to player may not be enough to keep Rudolph in town beyond 2022, however, as Rudolph publicly disagreed with his head coach’s assessment going into Carolina.

“I feel like I haven’t been active on Sunday,” Rudolph told reporters Wednesday, perhaps feeling slighted by the aforementioned “2 and 2-A” comment.

While Rudolph’s inactive streak has left him left souring on the prospect of remaining a Steeler long-term, Rudolph can at least bottle up his resentment and save it for Sunday if called upon.

Against a defense finding its footing with a number of emerging high-profile players, the Steelers’ QB - whoever it may be - will have to study tape and get the ball out quickly to his first and second reads. However, this may be a tough task with Diontae Johnson and Pat Freiermuth questionable as of Thursday. In addition, Carolina’s defense often crowds the line of scrimmage, daring opponents to throw with pass-rushers Brian Burns and Frankie Luvu bearing down on the quarterback. Combined, the two have notched 15-and-a-half sacks and have racked up multiple tackles for loss, while freeing up their defensive backfield to play up to their aggressive tendencies.

At corner, top draft selections Jaycee Horn and CJ Henderson are an opportunistic duo that compose a talented secondary looking for a breakout game. However, without veteran safety Xavier Woods (questionable-knee), the Panthers may run fewer exotic looks against the Steelers and instead favor a more vanilla zone-coverage approach. Fellow safety Jeremy Chinn, who’s been an active tackler all year around the line of scrimmage, may be forced to play deep to protect against the long ball in his teammate’s absence.

On the other sideline, the Steelers’ defense knows a thing or two about fielding a defense minus a couple starters, and may be without Larry Ogunjobi (toe) a week after losing Chris Wormley for the season to a torn ACL. While prayers and well-wishes go out to our buddy Chris Wormley, the opening at defensive end presents a golden opportunity for rookie DeMarvin Leal, who possesses the strength, size and speed combination to play in just about any package the defense draws up.

Leal will be counted on to pressure the inconsistent Darnold, but also to fortify a rush defense that was outplayed and outmanned last week versus the Ravens. Leal will have to be stout at the point of attack if linebackers at the second level such as Myles Jack (groin) can’t suit up. 

All along the defensive front, the Steelers will be tasked with maintaining gap integrity after several Steelers, such as Cam Heyward, attested to trying to do too much against Baltimore. Robert Spillane and Marcus Allen, regulars in the Steelers’ nickel and dime packages, may be on the field much more often on obvious running downs alongside Devin Bush. As a unit, the Steelers’ linebackers can hopefully rewrite the narrative on the Steelers’ woeful run defense.

At outside linebacker, TJ Watt and Carolina native Alex Highsmith have the opportunity to go against an offensive line that has allowed 28 sacks on the year, a stat that is somewhat surprising given the turnover the team has experienced at quarterback. However, the team employs a strong offensive line anchored by the likes of tackles Taylor Moton and guard Austin Corbett, and favors the running game behind D’Onta Foreman and Chuba Hubbard.

All year long, the Panthers’ running game has been a reliable constant in a tumultuous year, allowing for long downfield shots to receivers DJ Moore and Laviska Shenault Jr. However, with Shenault Jr. questionable as of Thursday (shoulder), the Panthers may find themselves thin at receiver, and therefore stick to the bread and butter of their running game. And after the Steelers’ defensive performance last week, who can blame them?

Regardless of who starts for the Steelers at quarterback or how well the defense bounces back after a disheartening performance, there’s not much that can be done to save the Steelers’ chances in 2022. While no one wants to wave the white flag and turn the page to 2023, it will have to be done sooner or later.

The biggest downside is that a loss on Sunday guarantees Mike Tomlin’s first ever losing season in 16 years, a sight many Steelers fans will witness after making the short trip to Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium. It will be hard to swallow - most losses are - but it will be a bitter pill worth taking as the Steelers look forward to a brighter future.

Prediction: Panthers 24, Steelers 17