The 2021 NFL season is finally here, and the Carolina Panthers are kicking things off on the right foot. Characterized by a hot defense and the versatility of running back Christian McCaffrey, the Panthers won a close 19-14 game over the Jets.
Here are our studs and duds from Sunday’s game.
Stud: Christian McCaffrey
The Panthers missed McCaffrey last season. If that wasn’t already evident, it became crystal clear as the superstar back handled nearly all of the team’s touches on the first drive, then became their leading rusher and receiver for the rest of the contest.
Overall, McCaffrey totaled 98 yards rushing and 89 yards receiving, becoming a major key to the team’s victory.
Dud: Ryan Santoso
When head coach Matt Rhule passed up a 51-yard field goal attempt for a punt early in the first half, it became evident that the Panthers’ coaching staff may not trust Santoso from deep the way they trusted Slye. That decision led to boos from the crowd, especially considering that Santoso’s successful 52-yarder against the Pittsburgh Steelers directly led to his winning the job over Slye.
Later in the half, Santoso missed an extra point. To make things even worse for young kicker, the Panthers wouldn’t have to send the Giants any trade compensation if they cut him before next week. So it’s fair to assume they’ll have a fairly open competition this week at the position.
Stud: Sam Darnold
If this first game of the season is any indicator, Darnold may finally be turning things around. The fourth-year quarterback’s 234 passing yards in the first half was the second-most in his career, and his passer rating of 102.0 was one of just eight 100.0+ passer ratings he’s amassed so far.
Darnold relied heavily on McCaffrey as his emergency check-down option, also adding deep shots to the likes of Robby Anderson and D.J. Moore.
Dud: Panthers’ pass protection
While Carolina’s offensive line held its own for most of the first half, things changed dramatically for the home team in the second half. New York pressured Darnold multiple times after a relatively clean first half, making it tough for him to build on his strong start to the game in the last thirty minutes.
Either way, the offensive line showed promise, and the Panthers can work with that as an improvement over last season.
Stud: Shaq Thompson
Playing his first game in his new jersey number, the veteran linebacker lit up the field. The second quarter alone saw Thompson bring in his second career interception, then almost get another one minutes later.
Thompson finished the game with 10 tackles, a sack, a tackle for a loss and the pick, making impactful plays on the line and in coverage.
Dud: Injuries
Injuries are one of the worst things that can happen to a team early in the season, but it impacted both teams this Sunday afternoon. For the Jets, left tackle Mekhi Becton was carted off the field with what appeared to be a scary knee injury. For the Panthers, defensive back Myles Hartsfield was ruled out with a wrist injury, while there were also brief concerns on the field with left guard Pat Elflein and cornerback Donte Jackson, though both quickly recovered. We’ll continue to update the injury situation for Carolina.
Stud: Panthers’ defensive line
The Panthers’ edge rushers were widely expected to be the team’s strongest position group in 2021, but they took it to another level Sunday against the Jets.
Six sacks and pressure all game made it nearly impossible for rookie quarterback Zach Wilson to do his job in his first career game. The threat was diversified too, with Brian Burns, Haason Reddick, Derrick Brown, Daviyon Nixon, Marquis Haynes and Thompson all recording sacks throughout the game.
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