Playing against the defending world champions on their home turf, the Panthers took a heartbreaking 33-31 loss to the Chiefs in the most aggressive game Carolina has played in recent memory.
Here are our winners and losers from today’s tough loss.
Winner: RB Christian McCaffrey
In his first game back from injury, the Panthers’ most effective offensive weapon continued to be a game-changer through the air and on the ground. To kick things off, McCaffrey converted a gutsy fourth-and-three into a walk-in Carolina touchdown. Later in the game, the versatile back made a diving catch to keep a touchdown drive alive. McCaffrey finished with 151 total yards and two touchdowns, but it seemed like he suffered a rib injury late in the game, so we’ll continue to track his status this week.
Loser: Panthers offensive line
The pass protection woes for the Carolina’s offensive line continued against Kansas City. They allowed nine quarterback hits and two sacks. While Teddy Bridgewater emerged as a scrambling phenom, constant pressure made it hard for the offense to keep up in what turned into a shootout. Left tackle Dennis Daley exited the game with a knee injury, making matters worse.
Winner: QB Teddy Bridgewater
Bridgewater continues to prove his doubters wrong, controlling the game as a passer and a rusher. Teddy posted a 103.3 passer rating, made up of 310 yards and two passing touchdowns. As a rusher, Bridgewater converted a key fourth down and scored in the red zone on a quarterback draw.
Loser: Panthers secondary
It’s no secret that the Chiefs have weapons on offense. Unfortunately for Carolina, the Panthers didn’t really stop any of them. Wide receiver Tyreek Hill recovered from a shaky start to finish with 121 total yards and two touchdowns, while tight end Travis Kelce consistently beat the Panthers’ back end with 159 receiving yards. This was an overall poor effort by the Carolina secondary today.
Winner: Matt Rhule’s staff
Matt Rhule and company knew they would have to play aggressive to keep up with the high-powered Kansas City offense. From the Christian McCaffrey fourth-down touchdown early in the game to the 28-yard completion on a fake punt, the Panthers coaches can take a lot of the credit for keeping it close against the Chiefs.
Loser: LB Tahir Whitehead
Tahir Whitehead can’t seem to get it together in coverage. Today, he had issues tackling, as well. Whitehead gave up an embarrassingly easy third-quarter receiving touchdown to Clyde Edwards-Helaire and finished the game with only one tackle.
Winner: Panthers run defense
The Panthers did an impressive job containing the rookie Edwards-Helaire and the veteran Le’Veon Bell on the ground. Shaq Thompson made a difference, notching seven total tackles, but it was a team effort that limited KC to just 30 rushing yards.
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