Miami Dolphins: 3 Panthers players to plan for ahead of Sunday

Donte Jackson

The standout unit for the Carolina Panthers, statistically, is their secondary and pass defense. They have allowed the least total yards of any secondary in the entire league, and give up just 5.4 yards per pass attempt, good enough for second best.

One of the most impactful players in Carolina’s defensive backfield is fourth-year cornerback Donte Jackson. Jackson is fourth on the team in total tackles, but leads the Panthers in passes defended with nine. He also has two interceptions and forced a fumble in his eleven games played so far this season. Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa will need to do his best to identify Jackson’s position on the field for each play, as the cornerback has played 88+ percent of snaps in each game so far.

There is a reason to have hope for the Dolphins’ passing game on Sunday. While the Panthers defense certainly boasts impressive numbers, the collection of quarterbacks that they have played against isn’t exactly a whose who of elite players. They’ve played against some solid signal callers, but no games against the likes of Brady, Mahomes, Rodgers, Jackson, or the like. The matchup will be a tougher one than that against the Jets’ defense last week, and we’ll see if Tagovailoa and crew are up to the task.