The Carolina Panthers are spending more on their offensive line than any other team in the NFL, and by a wide margin. Given their investment, the front office has the right to expect a high level of consistent results.
Instead, what they're getting is a tired old story reminiscent of the Cam Newton era. Injuries and poor pass protection have made this one of the worst units in the league this year, and they allowed the most quick pressures in the league going into their bye week.
The only standout so far this campaign has been left guard Damien Lewis, and he's been sidelined by an elbow injury. Lewis did not suit up for the team's big Week 4 win over the Detroit Lions.
In his place was Corey Bullock, a late-summer pickup. Bullock was claimed off
waivers from the Baltimore Ravens on Aug. 31, right before the start of the regular season—and that move has already paid off.
According to ESPN, Bullock ranks second in run block in rate among all interior offensive linemen—winning 34 of 41 reps. Only Dalton Risner of the Cincinnati Bengals is performing better in this area.
It's nice that Bullock is excelling as a run blocker—and as a whole, this group is doing pretty decently in this department. Running back Chuba Hubbard was given a good amount of space versus the Lions, rushing for a season-high 122 yards and two scores.
That being said, quality run blocking paired with bad pass blocking and a whole string of injuries sounds awfully familiar—and it's the exact same dynamic that plagued the Panthers for the latter part of Newton's prime years. Hopefully, the return of right tackle Taylor Moton—which might go down this Sunday—will provide some stability for the trench.
Follow @ThePanthersWire on Twitter/X for more Panthers content.
This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: Unlikely Panthers OL near top of NFL in major blocking metric
