After a week off, the Carolina Panthers are set to embark on a seven-game stretch to end the season—one that begins with the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs . And despite the challenging start, there's hope in the air for these streaking underdogs.
The Panthers, winners of two straight , have experienced some upward momentum in the past few weeks with plenty of good to discuss. One of those, as it has been all season long, is the growth of the offensive line—which has surprisingly been one of the most sound fronts in the league.
What's even more surprising is that they've stayed consistent despite the handful of injuries they've faced. The group has been without Week 1 starting center Austin Corbett , who had his campaign cut short after just five games, and—to more temporary degrees—left tackle Ikem Ekwonu and right tackle Taylor Moton .
Nevertheless, the hog mollies have not let the setbacks actually set them back. Instead, they've let their quality depth and serviceable play—rarities in NFL offensive line rooms—keep them moving.
Cade Mays has been one of those depth pieces that has made the puzzle. Even despite his prior inexperience at the center position, he's stepped right in—taking over for Brady Christensen . . . who was taking over for Corbett.
According to Pro Football Focus, Mays had not given up a sack over his first two career starts in the middle. That's a testament, especially against the likes of New Orleans ' Bryan Bresee and New York's Dexter Lawrence II, to his growth and development.
Let's look back at some of his work against Lawrence and the Giants in Week 10 .
He was violent in Munich, using his raw power at the point of attack when necessary. Below is one of just a couple of Chuba Hubbard runs that broke free because of Mays.
As soon as he snaps the ball, Mays displays good lateral movement and explosiveness from the jump—using that momentum to bulldoze the 3-technique. He then works to the second level to shade over and seal off the big nickel defender.
This allows Hubbard to spring lose for one of his many chunk plays in his career performance.
One of the most impressive performances in Germany was Mays' play against Lawrence, arguably the best interior defensive lineman in football.
There's a saying that the low man wins and Mays shows that here. Watch him get proper leverage on Lawrence and get ahold of his chest plate.
He anchors very well while being able to twist the All-Pro into the dirt and open a path for Hubbard to score his lone touchdown. This was one of the most impressive reps from any player on the field that day.
Mays displayed ample communication with protection calls and MIKE identifications in pass protection. He was effective through the ground, his pass sets were adequate and he's made a case to remain at center moving forward.
Some may think this center situation for Carolina isn't ideal. With Ekwonu likely to be back this week, the Panthers will have to decide if it's Christensen or Mays snapping the ball to starting quarterback Bryce Young.
But if it's a problem, it's certainly a good one. Depth, again, is a rarity in this league—and the Panthers seem to have it in spades right now.
We must give out props to the team's coaching staff—particularly offensive line coach Joe Gilbert, assistant offensive line coach Keli'i Kekuewa and run game coordinator Harold Goodwin. They have done a superb job with the construction and maturation of the group and its depth, something Mays has had his hand in.
Regardless of who does start against the Chiefs, this should be a sign that Mays is a critical asset to the Panthers depth chart for the rest of the campaign.
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This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: Panthers OL Cade Mays proving to be a valuable, versatile asset
