In a dreadful season, the Carolina Panthers have an opportunity to pick up a win over an NFC South divisional foe Sunday afternoon. 

But to get to that point doesn't start with the rookie quarterback Bryce Young. Been there, done that. It starts and ends with the ground game that didn't come to fruition until a Week 13 matchup with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 

Last Sunday, Panthers lead back Chuba Hubbard ran for 104 yards and two touchdowns. He was the first 100-yard rusher the Panthers have had all season. Now, Carolina needs to ask him to do it again against the rather banged-up New Orleans Saints team. 

How the Panthers can open running lanes

But for the Panthers, it starts by being the aggressor. 

For most of the season, Carolina has played from behind. The team has been asked to abandon the run game and trust Young's arm to pull them back into several games. It hasn't worked. There is a reason the Panthers have one win under their belt thus far.

Against Tampa Bay, it was a little different. The Panthers were the aggressors. The defense did their part. And the offensive line opened up running lanes for what felt like the first time all season. 

Offensive lineman Bradley Bozeman when probed about the run game, felt like it was the first time all season players up front did what they set out to do. 

"There's not really a ton that's different," he said to Schuyler Callihan of All Panthers. "Last game we had a lot more opportunities to get that going and I think sometimes in the past we haven't had that many opportunities. We almost pressure ourselves too hard to make that happen instead of letting it happen naturally."

Letting the run game come naturally. Everyone doing their job. And the Panthers dictating the pace with which the game is played, if done right, could spell good news for a Panthers team that hasn't had much of it in recent weeks. 

Panthers at Saints kicks off at 1 p.m.