"They are a team that's going to run the ball," Briggs said Thursday. "That's what they do best. They have two quality backs [DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart], a young quarterback [Jimmy Clausen], a good offensive line, so you do what suits you. To me, that spells [they're] getting ready to run."
Not much has worked for the Panthers (0-4), but they rank No. 17 in rushing offense compared to No. 28 in passing offense.
Plus, because Carolina will be without the always dangerous Steve Smith, Williams and Stewart are expected to be an even bigger part of the offense -- the two backs have already combined for 462 all-purpose yards and three touchdowns.
Stopping the run wasn't an issue until the Bears faced the Giants. The New York combination of Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs gashed the Bears on the ground, hitting the defense for several long runs on cut-back plays. No doubt those plays caught the attention of Carolina, considering Williams and Stewart are also known as cut-back runners.
"Part of the problem with the cut-back runs from last week, we didn't make tackles," Briggs said. "We had Ahmad Bradshaw tackled in the backfield a couple of times, and didn't finish. Those tackles for losses turned into positive yards. The opportunities we have this week, we just have to finish the plays. That changes [New York's] total [rushing] yardage from [189] to around a 100 or less than 100 yards."
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