Tag: DJ Moore

Panthers’ defensive woes spill over, spoil offense in third straight loss

The Carolina Panthers are special.

The Carolina Panthers are special.

They’re not special because they’re particularly great or because they’re setting themselves apart in any positive or ingenious fashion. They’re special because they did not to mount a fourth-quarter comeback against the woeful Atlanta Falcons.

Given how that team is practically the Benjamin Franklin of inventing new ways to blow late leads, that’s impressive. What wasn’t in Carolina’s demoralizing 25-17 loss was their young defense.

Guess what? Morale gets lost when you allow a 35-year-old quarterback who runs like he underwent a double-foot transplant with an elephant and a duck gash you on the ground in critical spots. Matt Ryan hit up Carolina for 27 yards on six carries, two of which were pathetically painful.

Ryan’s first punch to the gut came at the 8:02 mark of the second quarter, when he rolled out to the wide-open right side of the field to pick up 13 of those yards and a touchdown. Two impressive scores from Curtis Samuel became two quick afterthoughts, as the clumsy Ryan embarrassed the Panthers defense to cut down their lead to 14-13.

Ryan’s second would help push what was the game-clinching drive forward. On a 3rd & 7 from Atlanta’s own 28-yard line, Ryan picked up 10 yards and a first down. Nine plays later, running back Todd Gurley extended a 19-17 advantage to the final 25-17 on a three-yard push into the end zone with 11:01 remaining.

Wideout Julio Jones also thrahsed a mostly soft zone defense for 137 yards on seven receptions. That 19.6 yards per catch average was a testament to Carolina’s shortcomings defensively, even with Calvin Ridley exiting early due to an ankle injury.

This often-punchless defensive unit is still failing to piece together timely stops consistently. They totaled just a single takeaway and two sacks while largely surrendering the edge in ball control (36:30 to 23:30) as well as in the first-down battle (28 to 18).

If you mix in last week’s loss to the New Orleans Saints, that time-of-possession difference stands at a jaw-dropping 71:11 to 48:49 in favor of their division rivals. They’re also well behind in total plays at 133 to 87 forced one punt in those eight quarters.

As the Panthers defense continues keeping opposing offenses on the field, they are—in turn—failing to get their own offense on it. This has helped lead to the aforementioned disparity in control and the lack of functionality and smoothness we saw in previous victories.

Outside of Samuel (54 total yards and two touchdowns on seven touches) and Mike Davis (66 yards on 13 carries), there wasn’t much to write home about on this side of the ball. Teddy Bridgewater was bland and flustered, D.J. Moore was MIA until the end and Robby Anderson was held in check for the first time all season.

With Carolina not having tasted victory in three weeks, the defense needs to dig deep and snap out of it. That will require getting help from someone other than Brian Burns and Jeremy Chinn, who is carrying quite a heavy work load. (They’re even counting on Chinn to convert 4th & longs . . .)

Next up, these Panthers will visit the reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs next Sunday. Imagine what Andy Reid, Patrick Mahomes, Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce can do against this defense.

Good luck with that.

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Panthers can’t stop Saints in painful loss

Carolina Panthers can’t stop New Orleans Saints in painful 27-24 loss.

An NFL game wasn’t the only event taking place down in New Orleans this weekend. The Mercedes-Benz Superdome also played host to a warm reunion on Sunday.

When one made his leap up in the football world this offseason, all the success and all the good times were left behind. The wins, the togetherness, the fun—even in what was initially thought to be an odd relationship—were now just simply memories.

But, after nearly a year apart, they finally met again here in Week 7. That’s right, Matt Rhule and his smock!

Carolina Panthers head coach Matt Rhule and his (in)famous smock finally reunited on the sideline for the first time since his days at Baylor University. Oh, and Teddy Bridgewater returned to the workplace of his previous employer as well.

Sadly for the Carolina Panthers, that smock still wasn’t enough to stop the slop that would ensue. And neither was Bridgewater, as the team dropped to 3-4 with a painful loss to the division rival Saints.

Their 27-24 defeat is by no means to be placed at Teddy’s feet. In fact, he was just as good as his former teammate and current adversary, Drew Brees, in a strong bounce-back outing from last week.

Bridgewater appeared right at home, completing 23 of his 28 passes for 254 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. As he’s often been, especially as he was in New Orleans, he was considerably efficient in orchestrating a methodical offense.

He kept Robby Anderson’s breakout campaign going (six receptions, 74 yards), put Curtis Samuel in multiple spots to come up clutch (three successful third-down conversions) and dug into his bag of tricks for a big-time deep ball to DJ Moore. Bridgewater connected with Moore on a beautiful 74-yard touchdown at the 10:56 mark of the second quarter to stop the bleeding of what was a 14-3 Saints lead.

That aforementioned slop, instead, came courtesy of the Carolina defense.

Save for a strip-sack by, you guessed it, pass rush specialist and human missile Brian Burns, the Panthers could not stop the New Orleans offense.

The Saints were powered by a total of 415 yards while converting on a ridiculous 12 of their 14 third-down tries. 12-of-14. Punter Thomas Morstead never even had to put his helmet on. The only achievement for the Panthers defense was that they were somehow able to hold the Saints to only 27 points.

Despite the unit having actually impressed to this point, as there were very little to no expectations considering their youth and inexperience, this particular performance stung a bit.

The Saints, even with top wideouts in Michael Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders inactive, still had their way.

The contest ended in fitting fashion, as a valiant 65-yard field goal attempt by Joey Slye to tie the game at 27 fell just short with two minutes remaining. As they did all afternoon, they fell just short—largely void of big plays and big stops.

Overall, though, we can hit Rhule and his Panthers with another sincere “good job, good effort.”

Who would have thought the Panthers would have as many as three wins through seven games? Would would have thought these Panthers would be competitive in each of these seven games? Probably no one.

So as Carolina prepares to turn around back home for a short rest and a Thursday night date with the Atlanta Falcons ahead, they must start to clean it up a bit . . . or else Rhule and his smock may have to permanently reconcile if things continue to get any messier.

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Teddy Bridgewater, Panthers take a step back in sloppy loss to Chicago

It’s more so that the Panthers, particularly Bridgewater, just didn’t do anything special.

What do Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy and quarterback win-loss records all have in common? They’re all fake. (Sorry, kids.)

You can’t just relegate a team’s victories and defeats to its quarterback. He only plays half of the game. What if, say, Teddy Bridgewater were to complete 25 of his 25 pass attempts for 500 yards and five touchdowns, yet, sees his Carolina Panthers go down in a 49-35 loss? Surely, the loss isn’t his fault. His defense gave up seven touchdowns. He played a perfect game. So why attribute that to him?

Well, QBWinz still persist for a reason. It’s football’s sloppy way of saying the quarterback position is the most important in all of sports.

Your team usually will only go as far as your QB does. And while there’s no easy statistic to quantify that, Teddy tried his damnedest to make that transparent on Sunday.

Carolina dropped to 3-3 this afternoon in a sloppy showing against the now 5-1 Chicago Bears. And the Bears didn’t do anything special to come away with a 23-16 win. It’s more so that the Panthers, particularly Bridgewater, just didn’t do anything special.

Bridgewater wasn’t close to the statistical juggernaut he was in the weeks prior. He saw his league-leading completion percentage (73.4) take a serious dive, completing just 16 of 29 throws (55.2 percent), against a stout defense. His passing yardage wasn’t up to snuff, with 216 yards after entering with a bulky average of 292.0 per game. He also threw two costly interceptions and zero touchdowns.

But it was the nature of those numbers that were more worrisome for a Panthers team suddenly looking to compete for a playoff spot.

Bridgewater’s first pick came on Carolina’s first drive, right after eating a sack that very well could have been a safety. Bridgewater tried to force one in to Robby Anderson, who was draped in coverage by rookie Jaylon Johnson on a 3rd & 19 from the Panthers’ one-yard line.

The ball bounced off Anderson and into the waiting hands of Tashaun Gipson. The Bears would capitalize off the giveaway, as a touchdown from Nick Foles to tight end Cole Kmet put the Panthers into a 7-0 hole not even four minutes in.

Bridgewater could not dig his offense out of that hole, as Carolina trailed the entire way. While he could have gotten a little more help from his receivers, most notably DJ Moore – who had a few ugly drops, Teddy appeared off the mark and struggled while facing pressure throughout.

That connection combined for the game’s most defining moment. On a 4th & 2 from the Bears’ 38 with 2:00 remaining and down seven, Bridgewater missed Moore on a wide open pass that would’ve set up the Panthers well inside the red zone.

He got a second chance at tying the game after a defensive stand that limited Chicago to just eight yards in 23 seconds. But Bridgewater would waste that one too, rather immediately, as he hit DeAndre Houston-Carson in stride.

It was a perfect throw, just to the wrong team.

Overall, Sunday wasn’t exactly a disaster for Carolina. Their young studs on defense in Brian Burns (three quarterback hits) and Jeremy Chinn (one interception) impressed yet again in helping limit the opposition to a paltry 261 yards and they stayed quite close and competitive until the final whistle. So, by no means, are we blowing up the season now.

Bridgewater still has some steps to take, though. Sure, he can guide a well-called, finely-tuned offense. And sure, everything looks fine and peachy while they’re ahead on the scoreboard.

Is he a QB who can consistently handle the pressure in the pocket? Is he a guy who can win games you’re supposed to lose? And is he a leader who can take this improbable group to the postseason?

So far, even with all his sexy numbers, the answer is no.

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Carolina Panthers win third straight game, may actually be good

Could these 20220 Carolina Panthers be actually, uh, good? Well . . .

Could these 20220 Carolina Panthers be actually, uh, good? Well . . .

One telltale sign of a good team is that they take care of bad teams. And their Week 5 foes, the Atlanta Falcons are—indeed—a bad team.

The Panthers did not play around with their food this afternoon, grabbing the winless Falcons and refusing to let go in a 23-16 victory. Their surprising move to 3-2 on the season was all about being in control.

That was evident throughout with another calm and collected performance from quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. He was the maestro of a finely-tuned orchestra once again, completing 27 of his 37 attempts for 313 yards, a pair of touchdowns and no interceptions.

Bridgewater’s proficiency and grasp on the offense is growing stronger by the week, leading the group to not only considerable production, but a strong mentality. Their zero turnovers on Sunday look even sweeter alongside their 437 total yards and a 33:06 to 26:54 edge in the time of possession battle.

The most encouraging sign from this unit is playing to their wide receivers’ strengths. No one has benefited more than Robby Anderson.

Anderson (eight receptions, 112 yards) shined as a technician, using his quickness and precise footwork to consistently gain separation in opening up quite a number of easy throws for Bridgewater. Through five games, he’s up to 489 receiving yards, averaging 13.6 yards per catch.

While we did see signs of the fifth-year wideout’s potential wit hthe Jets, they were far too sparse. Here in Carolina, Anderson is pairing his talent with opportunity to look like the No. 1 wideout he should be.

D.J. Moore found himself an opportunity as well, one that put his elite yards-after-catch ability on display. His 57-yard catch-and-run gave the Panthers their first lead at 13-7 with 2:30 remaining in the second quarter.

For Moore, unlike in 2019, his game should be more about quality than quantity. He doesn’t need a high volume of targets to succeed or make an impact. He just needs an opening or two to turn the burners on, like he did today.

Even the organization’s red-headed stepchild, Curtis Samuel, got in on the action. Offensive coordinator Joe Brady made it a point to incorporate the multi-faceted weapon into the offense early and often, forcing seven total touches his way in the first half alone. While his final numbers don’t exactly jump off the box score (five catches for 36 yards and four carries for 28 yards), Samuel can be used as a versatile and dangerous piece moving forward.

Just as well, running back Mike Davis keeps making a case to stay involved. He finished the game with 89 yards on 16 rushes and a hefty nine catches for another 60 yards, including a three-yard touchdown on a simple lob from Bridgewater with 23 seconds before halftime. That gave Carolina a 20-7 advantage that would never be challenged.

And let’s give the defense some much earned props because, damn, they’ve deserved it. Run defense is still an issue, as they made 2020 Todd Gurley somehow look like 2017 Todd Gurley (121 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries).

However, the Panthers locked down quarterback Matt Ryan. He completed 21 of his 37 throws for just 226 yards, no touchdowns and an interception. The pick was timely, too, as safety Juston Burris prevented what could’ve been a game-tying touchdown to Russell Gage with 8:49 left in the game. Burris’ stop halted a 10-play, 71-yard drive.

Carolina has now effectively silenced two of the NFL’s most potent passing attacks. Adding in last week’s triumph over the Arizona Cardinals, the Panthers defense limited Ryan and Kyler Murray to 359 passing yards combined in their last two outings.

With seemingly every obstacle a team can possibly face in their way on top of a global pandemic—Matt Rhule’s Panthers have easily been one of the league’s most impressive and surprising teams thus far.

Maybe we can chalk it up to the ol’ “Hey, it’s 2020! Everything is weird!”

Or maybe, just maybe, this team is . . . actually good.

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Panthers defense finally steps up in team’s first win in 11 games

Carolina Panthers defense steps up in team’s first win in 11 games going back to 2019 season.

Through their first two games of 2020, the Carolina Panthers defense had a bend-but-don’t-break dynamic going on. There was also a whole lot of don’t-do-much-of-anything, though.

Just two takeaways, zero sacks and not a timely stop to speak of beset the unit in Carolina’s first two losses to Las Vegas and Tampa Bay. They didn’t completely implode in either contest, which was impressive given their youth and drastic personnel turnover rate, but the big plays were essentially non-existent.

That changed on Sunday.

Carolina’s 21-16 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers, their first win since Week 9 of 2019 (yes, you read that correctly), was headlined by seized opportunities on defense. Perhaps, with the Ron Rivera era behind us, we can call those “un-missed opportunities?”

Whatever you call them, the clutch stops began early with edge rusher extraordinaire Brian Burns. The second-year defensive end forced a fumble off rookie quarterback Justin Herbert midway through the first quarter. Burns’ dirty work halted a drive near midfield and helped set up an early 6-0 lead.

The Chargers fumbled again later, as linebacker Shaq Thompson kneed the ball out of the grasp of running back Joshua Kelley from behind. Not exactly a “Peanut Punch,” the seemingly accidental strike and subsequent forced fumble set Carolina up at their own 43-yard line.

Three minutes and 57 seconds later, Christian McCaffrey-replacement Mike Davis hit the end zone on a reception from 13 yards out to stretch the lead to 15-7 at the 3:02 mark of the second quarter.

The Panthers didn’t waste those final three minutes of the half either, as cornerback Donte Jackson picked off Herbert on the ensuing possession. Jackson’s 66-yard return left Carolina on the Los Angeles eight-yard line. They closed the half with a chip-shot field goal and an 11-point lead.

When they returned to the field for the second half, rookie linebacker Jeremy Chinn broke out again.

Like Burns, Chinn has proven he’s got a bright future. Chinn ranked second only to Thompson (13) with 12 total tackles on the afternoon. Chinn now has 20 tackles through three games and has made an impression with his athleticism and versatility.

On offense there weren’t any shocking developments. This performance just reinforced the fact that, even with the most dangerous group of weapons they’ve had in quite some time, they have their limits.

That’s due to the limits of QB Teddy Bridgewater. It’s not that he can’t throw downfield, as evidenced by his 38-yard connection with DJ Moore, it’s that he and offensive coordinator Joe Brady seem reluctant to do so.

Take their possession at the end of the first half, for instance. Rather than take a quick shot at a receiver in the end zone from the eight-yard line with eight seconds left, Bridgewater dumped off to Robby Anderson at the four-yard line. Eight seconds is certainly more than enough time to at least take your one shot at a touchdown before you settle for three points.

Offenses go as their QBs go. Although he’s solid option and a guy who won’t hand the opposition the game with poor play, Bridgewater doesn’t exactly go above and beyond. He’s not, as Panthers fans have seen in the nine years previous, a Cam Newton type that can drag a fundamentally-flawed roster kicking and screaming to a victory.

But Bridgewater will usually keep you afloat, as he did on Sunday. He was efficient (22-of-28), drew the defense offsides with his cadence a few times and didn’t offer the Chargers any giveaways to catapult themselves back into contention.

Regardless, it’s time to celebrate. Congratulations to head coach Matt Rhule and his staff on their first win and congratulations to the franchise for their first victory in *checks notes* 329 days!

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Bad decisions, rookie mistakes stunt Panthers in loss to Buccaneers

That’s no string theory, but the Carolina Panthers proved it correct on Sunday in their 31-17 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Playing football with a young and talent-deficient team is pretty hard. Playing dumb football with a young and talent-deficient team is even harder. That’s no string theory, but the Carolina Panthers proved it correct on Sunday in their 31-17 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Carolina’s mental miscues began early, on Tampa’s second offensive drive of the game, when first-round pick Derrick Brown was flagged for unnecessary roughness on a short third-down completion. The rookie defensive tackle flew in and dropped all 320 pounds of himself on the already downed ball–carrier, turning a fourth and three and likely field goal try into an eventual touchdown stroll for Ronald Jones. Brown picked up another ill-advised foul in the third quarter, which also extended a Tampa possession off a failed third-down conversion.

The most egregious blunder came courtesy of the coaching staff six minutes before the half. Down 14-0 on fourth and two, the Panthers elected to fake a punt, calling up rookie safety Jeremy on a direct snap up the middle. He was stopped for a turnover on downs.

Why not just run your regular offense out there? Why not let Teddy Bridgewater, who is lauded for his short-field accuracy – to try throwing for two yards? Or maybe hand the ball off to the highest-paid running back in the history of the NFL.

That questionable play-calling was a sore spot last week when offensive coordinator Joe Brady opted for fullback Alex Armah to convert on a fourth and one run to try and keep the Panthers’ hopes alive against Las Vegas. In case you forgot, he did not succeed.

Additionally, another late-game choice by coach Matt Rhule is worth questioning. While facing a 10-point deficit and a fourth and goal on the Tampa Bay five-yard line at the two-minute mark of the fourth quarter, Rhule trotted out kicker Joey Slye for a chip-shot field goal instead of going for the touchdown.

Mistakes like that are even more difficult to overcome with underwhelming quarterback play. That’s precisely what Carolina from Bridgewater today.

Teddy missed big on his two interceptions, one on a screen pass for McCaffrey in the first quarter and the other on a throw behind an open DJ Moore early in the fourth. The second pick halted a potential game-tying drive that started with a 39-yard reception by Robby Anderson. Bridgewater, to be fair, didn’t see an optimal amount of help from his offensive line, eating five sacks thanks to sloppy protection.

Unfortunately for Carolina, that was five more sacks than their defense had. With zero sacks from last week and zero sacks this week, that brings the Panthers’ grand sack total up to . . . zero through two games! Despite being relatively tight throughout, the unit’s failure to come up with game-changing stops and plays compounded earlier shortcomings.

On the bright side, the team’s young defensive studs showed out rather nicely. Chinn, defensive end Brian Burns and cornerback Donte Jackson all played fast and effective football. Chinn was all over the field with a team-high seven tackles, Burns consistently disrupted the backfield and Jackson chalked up his first interception of the year and ate up 44 yards on the return.

This performance was more of what most expected out of Carolina in 2020. We saw the growing pains, almost from start to finish, from each side of the ball and from the sidelines. But to their credit, they’re now two-for-two in putting together competitive outings. If they’re trying to tank, at least they’re disguising it well.

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Panthers retooling, not rebuilding: What it means for 2020

According to Charles Robinson at Yahoo Sports, Carolina general manager Marty Hurney will aim towards a “mixed reboot” rather than a total rebuild.

Good news, Carolina Panthers fans! Your team won’t stink this year. . . . Well, at least they won’t deliberately try to stink as part of a total rebuild.

According to Charles Robinson at Yahoo Sports, Carolina general manager Marty Hurney will aim towards a “mixed reboot” rather than a total rebuild. That “everyone is on the table” sentiment, which was their reported approach heading into the scouting combine two weeks ago, is gone. So, what does a reboot look like as opposed to a good old-fashioned blow-the-whole-thing-up scenario?

For one, your Cam Newton and Christian McCaffrey jerseys won’t be outdated for the upcoming season (assuming that still happens). The roster’s key pieces who aren’t about to become free agents will likely all remain in place. That should include defensive tackle Kawann Short, wide receivers Curtis Samuel and D.J. Moore, safety Eric Reid and linebacker Shaq Thompson, who is just three months moved from inking a four-year, $54.2 million extension.

The try-to-compete-in-2020 mode also jives with their recent acquisition of left tackle Russell Okung. One season of Okung, who is on an expiring contract, is arguably more valuable than one year of right guard Trai Turner given the importance of blindside protection as well as Turner’s recent regression.

Additionally, Carolina’s crop of young up-and-comers isn’t far from hitting their stride. Outside linebacker Brian Burns, cornerback Donte Jackson, tight end Ian Thomas and right tackle Taylor Moton – to name a few – have all flashed signs of promise and are primed to begin contributing more. Those players should all be returning in 2020.

Now that they’ve decided not to blow it all up, the front office’s main challenge is reconstructing a much-depleted defense, one that was already embarrassing this past year.

As of right now, they’ll only have approximately $30 million in cap space and a few high-end draft picks, headlined by No. 7 overall selection, to either bring back or help replace the likes of cornerback James Bradberry, defensive tackle Gerald McCoy, pass rushers Mario Addison and Bruce Irvin and of course retired linebacker Luke Kuechly. It will probably take more than just one year to accomplish.

In the meantime, this sheds more light on two other key pieces inside the organization.

First, the team will very likely allow Cam Newton to play out the final year of his contract. This lets them reevaluate their commitment to the soon-to-be 31-year-old quarterback. If Newton heals up and returns to his former MVP form, then they’ll already have their franchise QB and won’t have to go through a potentially long and painful process of finding another. All they’d have to do is extend him.

Secondly, this reveals not every part of the Panthers’ brass is on the same page. Hurney, whose deal only runs through 2020, is on a mission to compete now and extend his shelf life in Charlotte. New head coach Matt Rhule, though, has been given a lucrative seven-year blessing from owner David Tepper to build up a winning organization “the right way.”

The mixed signals continue.

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Colts vs. Panthers: 3 key matchups to watch in Week 16

Key matchups to watch in Week 16.

With their playoff hopes officially dashed, the Indianapolis Colts will have to find another source of motivation as they play in their second to last game of the season. Coming to town on Sunday are the Carolina Panthers, who are looking for a strong end to their struggling season.

On Monday night, the Colts were greatly embarrassed by the New Orleans Saints in a 34-7 defeat and there was little to no positives from that game. But as they say, “today is a new day.”

Here are three key matchups to watch in Colts’ Week 16 bout:

Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

RB Christian McCaffrey vs. Colts’ defensive front seven

In what is easily this game’s biggest matchup, the Colts are facing one of the most dynamic and versatile offensive players this league has seen in a long time. Third-year running back Christian McCaffrey is literally having an all-time season and at one point, he was even considered a front runner for this year’s MVP award.

Between his incredible efforts as a runner (1,307 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns) and receiver (94 catches and 814 receiving yards), McCaffrey forces defenses to always keep their eyes on him, which allows other Panthers offensive targets to play in favorable situations.

The Colts’ defense, especially linebacker Darius Leonard, has to play with an extra burst and anticipation while defending McCaffrey. This has to be done because one mistake could literally turn into a game-changing play for the Stanford product.

In fact, McCaffrey is actually 388 total yards (2,121) away from tying the record of most scrimmage yards gained in a season (2,509), set by former Tennessee Titan Chris Johnson in 2009.

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Change feels inevitable after the Panthers’ latest loss to Redskins

No matter how we try to quantify this, the Panthers’ 29-21 loss was nothing short of shameful.

On Sunday afternoon the New York Jets, riding a three-game win streak, fell victim to the previously 0-11 Cincinnati Bengals. Not too long after, the Philadelphia Eagles, with a chance to move into a first-place tie atop the NFC East, were caught with their pants down against the 2-9 Miami Dolphins. Neither game was the most embarrassing defeat of Week 13, though.

That honor actually belongs to the Carolina Panthers, who spotted themselves a 14-0 lead at home and still lost to a two-win team with an interim head coach, a struggling rookie quarterback and fewer total touchdowns than Christian McCaffrey.

Here are some cold hard facts about the loss:

  • The Washington Redskins came into Bank of America Stadium ranked dead last in points per game (13.1). They scored 29.
  • Washington also came in ranked last in rushing touchdowns, having pieced together only two. They bested that 11-game sum with three on the day.
  • Again, they came in ranked last in another offensive category, total yards at 253.4. Today, they gained 248 on rushing alone.

No matter how we try to quantify this, the Panthers’ 29-21 loss was nothing short of shameful, particularly for a head coach and a quarterback both looking for some sort of job security in 2020.

We’ll start with the latter – Kyle Allen – who appeared to have carried over what was an impressive effort in New Orleans early on. Allen and the offense started out hot, taking their first eight plays for 75 yards into the end zone. The swift four-minute drive was capped off on a four-yard touchdown catch for Curtis Samuel, his fifth on the season.

Allen promptly followed that up with another touchdown throw, this time one that found the hands of DJ Moore for his fourth (and easiest) score of 2019. That possession took even less time for the Panthers to assert their dominance, finishing off the 55-yard drive in six plays and just over three minutes.

However, in a performance that eerily mirrored how Allen’s campaign has gone, they hit a steep decline after that. The unit ended up averaging 3.8 yards per play, totaled 65 rushing yards, allowed seven sacks and converted only five third downs in 16 tries.

They also lost the turnover battle thanks in part to an interception and another lost fumble by Allen, who once again didn’t manage the pocket well. He fell far too much in love with the dump-off pass and failed to fully diagnose his options in a handful of frantic moments, particularly on the loss-clinching snap where he missed a wide-open Jarius Wright in the end zone.

As for Ron Rivera, this loss may be that proverbial final nail in the coffin.

Rivera is supposed to be a defensive guru, but time and time again this unit has come up short in the critical the stop-the-run and takeaway departments. That theme was no different in this contest, with the Panthers forcing zero turnovers and Washington’s backfield duo of Derrius Guice and Adrian Peterson combining for 228 yards (9.9 per carry) and three scores.

Rivera, who had so often led his Panther teams to considerable success in the season’s final two months over his previous eight years at the helm, now heads a ship that has lost four straight and is completely sunk in the playoff race.

Change is coming.

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DFS PROS favorite plays: Week 13

Top-ranked DFS PRO Jason Mezrahi, founder and CEO of WinDailySports.com, breaks down his favorite Daily Fantasy Football plays at various salary ranges for Week 13 of the NFL. Find out who Jason will be locking in his lineups on DraftKings and FanDuel.

Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

Top-ranked DFS PRO Jason Mezrahi, founder and CEO of WinDailySports.com, breaks down his favorite Daily Fantasy Football plays at various salary ranges for Week 13 of the NFL. Find out who Jason will be locking in his lineups on DraftKings and FanDuel.

QUARTERBACKS

PATRICK MAHOMES- $7400 DRAFTKINGS, $8600 FANDUEL

Patrick Mahomes is a stud and if you can find the way to pay up for him I think you should. He has the highest upside of the slate and is consistently averaging 24 points per game this season. Now he’s presented with a home matchup versus the Raiders who rank 25th against opposing quarterbacks. Couple that with the fact Vegas has this game projected to be a shootout with an over/under of 51.5 points and Mahomes is safe for both cash games and tournaments.

NICK FOLES- $5700 DRAFTKINGS, $7500 FANDUEL

Nick Foles is coming off 2 solid games that were against stingy defenses. Now he gets a dream matchup versus the Buccaneers who rank 31st against opposing quarterbacks. His price is discounted due to the fact he has been out for most of the season with the injury so I advise you to take advantage of the low price tag. Foles is a strong value versus terrible pass defense and will exceed value in Week 13.

RUNNING BACKS

CHRISTIAN MCCAFFREY-  $10500 DRAFTKINGS, $1100 FANDUEL

Christian McCaffrey is having one of the best seasons I have seen while playing fantasy football. The man is a lock and is averaging a whopping 32 points per game. He gets points in good and bad matchups, he scores when his team is winning or trailing in games. As long as he is healthy he is on the field accumulating fantasy points. McCaffrey will torch them on the ground and the air. If you have followed this column all season I have written him up in 80% of them and the trend will continue. Play if safe and pay up for McCaffrey and get different in other spots of your lineup.

JOSH JACOBS-  $6900 DRAFTKINGS, $7700 FANDUEL

Josh Jacobs is in the highest projected scoring game by Vegas in Week 13. Jacobs is averaging 16 points per game and is the focal point of this Raiders offense. He is the featured running back and he is involved in the passing game as well. The Chiefs rank 32nd against the run and Jacobs should find the endzone at least once in this matchup. Jacobs has high upside and provides a nice floor at a nice price to provide some value.

WIDE RECEIVERS

DJ CHARK JR-  $6600 DRAFTKINGS, $86900 FANDUEL

DJ Chark Jr. has been somewhat of a boom or bust play each week. I think Chark brings the boom versus the Buccaneers in Week 13. He is averaging 18 points per game and he has two 30 point games this season. I think the third 30 point game could come in Week 13. The Buccaneers rank 32nd against opposing wide receivers and have allowed 289 passing yards per game. It’s the best matchup on the board and I will be pairing Foles with Chark in both tournaments and cash games this week.

DJ MOORE-  $6800 DRAFTKINGS, $6800 FANDUEL

DJ Moore is quietly having one of the best seasons at the wide receiver position. He should eclipse the 1000 yard marker this week and is averaging 17 points per game. He is coming off four consecutive big games and I see a fifth one coming. The Redskins defense is suspect and Moore should put up points. Take the value he provides and lock in a consistent player with the upside for tournaments.

TIGHT ENDS

TRAVIS KELCE-  $7200 DRAFTKINGS, $7100 FANDUEL

Travis Kelce should be in line for a big week against the Raiders. In Week 2 Kelce hauled in 7 passes for 107 yards and a touchdown on the road in Oakland. Now he gets a matchup at home with a hobbled receiving core around him. I think Kelce is as safe as it gets at the tight end position with Kittle and Andrews in tough matchups this week. Kelce is averaging 15 points per game and has eclipsed 20 points in the last 2 games. I will take a repeat performance from Kelce and he will be mixed into my cash games and tournament lineups.

JACK DOYLE-  $3300 DRAFTKINGS, $5000 FANDUEL

Jack Doyle should see an uptick in targets and receptions with Eric Ebron put on injured reserve. I like Kelce, Ertz, and Waller at higher price tags but if you need to pay down Doyle is one of the best value tight ends of the slate. Doyle should be the number two target on this offense this week and the Titans struggle to cover the tight end. They rank 15th against opposing tight ends and allow 255 yards passing per game. I see Doyle with at least 5 receptions for 55 yards and if he can find his way into the endzone we should be looking pretty. Lock Doyle in for the best value tight end of the slate.

DEFENSES

NEW YORK JETS-  $3700 DRAFTKINGS, $4900 FANDUEL

The Jets have been better defensively the last couple of weeks and now gets a matchup versus the banged up Cincinnati Bengals. They have sacked the quarterback 17 times in the past 4 games and creating turnovers. A matchup versus the Bengals should continue the trend and the Jets come in with one of the safest floors in Week 13.

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES-  $3600 DRAFTKINGS, $5000 FANDUEL

There are a lot of interesting defenses this week with good to great matchups. I like the Browns, Eagles, and Panthers but the Ravens present the best value at the price. The Ravens are looking like true Super Bowl contenders with the way Lamar Jackson is playing. They are controlling the clock and playing with the lead in most of their games. Their defense is much improved after the trade acquisitions they made and have been dominating teams as of late. A matchup versus the 49ers could go either way but I think their defense makes sense at the value price they present.
Jason Mezrahi has been a professional, top-ranked Daily Fantasy Player on FanDuel and DraftKings for more than seven years. He has won FanDuel’s $155,555 King of the Diamond competition and placed second in DraftKings’ Fantasy Basketball World Championship, earning him $300,000. He owns and operates WinDailySports.com, which supports the DFS and Sports Betting community with resources such as tools, projection models, in-depth written analysis and podcasts, plus much more.