Tag: Chistian McCaffrey

Studs and duds from the Panthers’ 27-21 loss to Washington

Cam Newton was most definitely one of the Panthers’s studs in his return home on Sunday.

Playing spoiler to Cam Newton’s return to Charlotte, the Washington Football Team defeated the Carolina Panthers, 27-21. Defensive breakdowns allowed Ron Rivera’s team to have an offensive field day as they vie for a playoff bid.

Here are our studs and duds from Sunday’s game.

Stud: QB Cam Newton

Newton’s first start in his return to Carolina may have ended in a loss, but the team’s overall performance wasn’t his fault. The iconic quarterback led the Panthers all the way downfield on their first possession of the game, capping off a nine-play, 75-yard drive with a 10-yard touchdown pass to DJ Moore.

Then, in the second quarter, Newton took a quick 70-yard drive into the end zone with a 24-yard run. Immediately after, the energetic signal caller celebrated on the Panthers logo, emphatically marking Superman’s return to the Queen City. Newton’s final touchdown of the day came on a beautiful, 27-yard floater to Christian McCaffrey, who tied the score at 21 in the fourth quarter.

Overall, Newton recorded 189 passing yards on a 78 percent completion rate along with 46 rushing yards on 10 carries. He kept a clean sheet, too, totaling those three combined touchdowns to zero turnovers.

Dud: CB Donte Jackson

While the entirety of Carolina’s secondary allowed Washington quarterback Heinicke one of his best games as a starter, Jackson might have helped him the most. Jackson gave up a couple of chunk plays to wideout Terry McLaurin early in the game, finding almost no success in one-on-one coverage. Later, Jackson was embarrassed by DeAndre Carter on a four-yard touchdown score, which gave Washington a 21-14 lead in the third quarter.

Despite Jackson’s inability to guard him, the coaching staff continued to place a single cornerback on McLaurin (103 receiving yards) with little help. Also notable is that Stephon Gilmore (finger) continued to play on a limited snap count despite not being listed on the injury report ahead of Sunday’s matchup.

Stud: RB Christian McCaffrey

The one thing that is clear about the Panthers’ offense is that it runs through McCaffrey. The star running back put together another solid performance Sunday, meaningfully contributing in the rushing and receiving game.

Today, that versatility helped him break multiple records: passing tight end Greg Olsen for the fifth-most scrimmage yards in franchise history and becoming the fastest player in NFL history to reach 3,000 receiving yards and 3,000 rushing yards.McCaffrey broke those records through 119 yards from scrimmage today—59 rushing and 60 receiving.

Dud: Left tackle consistency

The Panthers have gone through eight offensive line combinations through 11 games this season. Dennis Daley, the latest player to fill the left tackle position, left the game in the first quarter with a glute injury. That forced rookie Brady Christensen to take his place blocking Newton’s blindside.

The line gave up five quarterback hits and a sack throughout the afternoon. Beyond the numbers, though, consistency along the line is crucial for a quarterback to familiarize themself with a new system.

Stud: DE Haason Reddick

Reddick continues to make his case as the bargain of the offseason. The fifth-year defensive end made it to double-digit sacks for the Panthers today, as he brought his season total to 10.5.

Like McCaffrey, Reddick also made franchise history. He became just the third Panthers player ever to record double-digit sacks in their first season with the team, following Kevin Greene’s 14.5 sacks in 1996 and Julius Peppers’ 12.0 sacks as a rookie in 2002.

Dud: Panthers’ third-down offense

If the Panthers want to win games, they need to start by extending drives into scoring territory. Sunday, though, they failed to extend many of their possessions beyond third down.

The team went zero-for-four on third down conversions in the first half and finished the game at a two-of-nine clip. Carolina is now 18-for-75 on third down in their losses and 34-for-72 in their wins.

Stud: DE Morgan Fox

Fox and Reddick were two of the few bright spots in an otherwise poor defensive performancy.

With just over three minutes remaining in the first quarter and Washington driving deep into Carolina territory, Fox forced running back Antonio Gibson into fumble. Panthers linebacker Frankie Luvu recovered the loose ball at the Carolina 10-yard line, preventing Washington from lighting up the scoreboard.

Fox, who recovered a fumble last week, now has two consecutive games with a fumble forced or recovered. Overall, he also pitched in four total tackles with one coming for a loss.

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Studs and duds from the Panthers’ 34-10 win over Cardinals

Cam Newton’s electric presence sparked the Panthers into peak efficiency en route to their highest point total since 2019.

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With Cam Newton back in town, the Carolina Panthers stunned the NFC-leading Arizona Cardinals in a decisive 34-10 victory. Offensive efficiency and a stout defense provided the perfect recipe for Carolina to shock the league with the upset win.

Here are our studs and duds from Sunday’s game.

Stud: QBs Cam Newton and P.J. Walker

Newton is back. In his first two plays of the afternoon, he scored two consecutive two-yard touchdowns to put the Panthers up 14-0. Through the air and on the ground, Newton’s return to the team not only put plenty of points on the board, but also energized the team to levels we haven’t quite seen with Sam Darnold under center.

His electric presence—revealed in celebrations with Robby Anderson, P.J. Walker and even the fans—seemed to spark the offense into peak efficiency, as they fired on all cylinders on the way to their highest point total since 2019.

But while Newton stole the show in terms of flashy touchdown plays, it was Walker who held down the fort to create calculated and efficient offensive drives. Walker completed 76 percent of his passes for 167 yards and one interception, keeping the outing away from implosion.

Dud: RB Chuba Hubbard

When an injury forced Christian McCaffrey to miss time earlier in the season, Hubbard quickly established himself as a reliable starter for the Panthers. The rookie running back performed exceptionally well in his role there, too, leading to the widespread belief that he would become the clear second option upon McCaffrey’s return.

While Hubbard could have been considered the RB2 today, that role was far from clear. Ameer Abdullah totaled the same number of carries as Hubbard and even hauled in four receptions to Hubbard’s zero. To make things worse, Hubbard fumbled a handoff late in the game as Carolina tried to give McCaffrey a break.

The Panthers may be using more of a committee system of backups to relieve pressure off of McCaffrey, rather than the workhorse duo of him and Hubbard that many expected after the draft.

Stud: Panthers defensive line

For starters, defensive end Haason Reddick built upon an already strong first half of his 2021 campaign with a strip-sack on quarterback Colt McCoy. Morgan Fox—another signing from this offseason—promptly recovered the fumble, then took it three yards to the Arizona 15-yard line. The turnover set up the Panthers for the first of Newton’s touchdowns.

The entire defensive line played an amazing game, though. From a critical stop on a 4th & 1 in the first quarter to constant pressure on both Arizona quarterbacks, the front forced turnovers and limited points on the Cardinals’ side of the scoreboard.

By the end of the game, the unit totaled nine quarterback hits and four tackles for a loss while also helping hold running back James Conner and the entire Arizona rushing attack to just 65 yards.

Dud: Panthers tight ends

While the offense seemed to be clicking for the quarterbacks and receivers, the team’s tight ends were left out of the success. Ian Thomas didn’t even accrue a single target, while rookie Tommy Tremble caught his lone look for a three-yard gain.

The Panthers have recently struggled to involve their tight ends in the offense, and a victory like this with hardly any tight end usage might mean more of the same in the future.

Stud: RB Christian McCaffrey

The short version is that McCaffrey—on his own—totaled just eight fewer yards than the entire Cardinals offense. The long version is that the talented running back made a difference in both the rushing and receiving game, pacing the team in both categories with 95 rushing yards off 13 carries and 66 receiving yards off ten catches.

Aside from a brief injury scare that appeared to involve his right leg, McCaffrey stayed on the field with the offense centered around his versatile skill set.

Stud: WR Robby Anderson

Given the circumstances of Sunday’s win, it felt justified to throw in an extra stud. Anderson was in the middle of a disappointing 2021 season with Sam Darnold under center.

Now, though, with Walker and Newton taking turns, Anderson managed one of his better performances of the year, hauling in four catches for 37 yards and a touchdown. His reception total matched that of Moore, but was his second-highest on the season.

Walker’s established rapport with Anderson from their Temple days should, if he starts next week, allow the team to take pressure off Moore in the passing game. Regardless, the future looks bright for Anderson, especially given that Newton—the only other option for the Panthers at the starting quarterback position—tossed his touchdown catch.

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