Commentary

Game-breaking RBs give Panthers edge

Originally Published: January 8, 2009
By Luke Cyphers | ESPN The Magazine
ESPN's Stats & Information team develops next-level insights into events and news on a daily basis. ESPN The Magazine's Luke Cyphers sorted through the data for this weekend's Cardinals-Panthers contest and highlights some key points.

Here's why Carolina is a team that your team hates to face in the playoffs. The Panthers have a ball-control offense that can wear down your D and play keep-away, but with players who scare you with their ability to run away. Nobody is better than the Panthers at sustaining drives in short yardage. The Panthers rank first in the NFL with a 79% "Power Success Rate" (the percentage of third- or fouth-down rushes that result in first down or TD). That's the keep-away part.


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Luke Cyphers

Luke Cyphers is a former senior writer for ESPN The Magazine.

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