After an embarrassing performance against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday night, the Carolina Panthers had a much more winnable matchup versus the Detroit Lions. The Lions entered the game with one of the worst run defenses in the league, yet the Panthers strayed away from their rushing attack on Sunday.
The defense had another disappointing performance, registering only one sack and forcing zero turnovers. But like we have seen many times this year, the Panthers woke up and played great football in the fourth quarter. So great, that they had a chance to win the game with just over a minute left, as “Riverboat” Ron Rivera rolled the dice and went for a two-point conversion. However, Cam Newton could not connect with his intended receiver on the conversion and the Panthers were unable to get the ball back again.
The game was a frustrating one not only for the players and coaching staff but for the fans as well. Rivera’s team is now 6-4 after Sunday’s loss, but lack a true identity and have people around the league unsure of how good this team really is. However, in every game, there are some bright spots to look at and the Panthers had some of those moments. Let’s take a look at whose stock is on the rise or decline after the 20-19 loss to the Lions.
D.J. Moore’s Stock on the Rise, Graham Gano’s on the Decline in Week 11
Hot
D.J. Moore
Panthers first-round pick, D.J. Moore, got off to a slow start this season which had plenty of fans around the league thinking bust way too early. The rookie, however, has been on an incredible stretch here in the middle of the season and had his best game receiving on Sunday. Moore finished the match with seven receptions, 157 receiving yards and one touchdown on eight targets. Since week five, Moore has posted 249 yards after the catch which ranks first in the NFL in that time span. His average of 8.89 yards per catch also ranks first in the league during that span. It will only be a matter of time before Moore is a focal part of the Panthers offense and gets the playing time and targets a typical no.1 receiver gets.
Hot Scale: The first scoop of Mac and Cheese fresh out the oven
Curtis Samuel
It may sound like a broken record, but Curtis Samuel is having himself one heck of a season. He continued his hot play on Sunday by hauling in five receptions for 55 yards and one touchdown. Here on his touchdown, he displays an excellent release off the line, runs a great route and high points the football while still keeping both feet in-bounds.
Curtis Samuel TD ??? pic.twitter.com/dju4TXmvrL
— Panthers 24/7 (@Panthers24_7) November 18, 2018
Hot Scale: A hot cup of Cocoa
Cold
Curtis Samuel’s Playing Time
On the flip side of things, Samuel’s snap count is criminally low. The second-year wide receiver only took 16 snaps in Sunday’s loss to Detroit. Samuel has shined in limited playing time this season touching the ball 21 times in 2018. However, in those 21 touches, he has posted 222 yards from scrimmage and five touchdowns. While Samuel may not be an established no.1 receiver yet, he is not your typical depth chart bottom dweller. We have seen him multiple times this year make explosive plays whether its in the passing game or rushing attack. His catch percentage has improved to 73.9% this year, which is third on the team only behind running back Christian McCaffrey and Moore. If Rivera and Norv Turner want this offense to put up more points, Samuel is going to have to see more snaps on a regular basis.
Cold Scale: A Winter in Siberia
Run Defense
Once upon a time, the Panthers run defense ranked among the tops in the NFL year in and year out. Defensive tackles Kawann Short and Star Lotuleili plugged up the middle while linebackers Thomas Davis Sr. and Luke Kuechly were able to chase down everything outside the tackles. Now, Dontari Poe plays alongside Short and while the rest of the front-seven is the same, they have not been able to stop the run like in years past.
Part of the blame could be put on new defensive coordinator Eric Washington. The Panthers have seen both Sean McDermott and Steve Wilks take head coaching jobs elsewhere the past two seasons. Under Washington, the Panthers run defense is not as disciplined. The defensive line gets pushed back more often making life much harder for Davis and Kuechly. Lions running back Kerryon Johnson finished the game with 87 rush yards on 15 carries and one touchdown. He broke off four runs of 10+ yards and could have finished the game with more, but left due to a lower body injury. If the Panthers expect to make any noise in the playoffs, they are going to have to be able to stop the run game.
Cold Scale: Cold slice of Pumpkin Pie
Road Games
The Panthers drop to 1-4 on the road this season and when you compare the splits, its clear to see why they struggle. Carolina’s offense abandons the run game when they are on the road as they have 310 less rushing yards and 77 less attempts then they do at home. Due to the lack of a run game, the Panthers offensive line struggles to protect Newton away from Charlotte. Taylor Moton and the patchwork offensive line have allowed only 7 sacks at home, but 13 sacks on the road. The unit will need to do a better job protecting their quarterback and opening up running lanes in future road games.
Cold Scale: A Frozen Turkey
Graham Gano
Having a reliable special teams unit is an important piece for any good team and on Sunday it showed why. The usually-reliable Graham Gano not only missed an extra point late in the game, but missed a 34-yard field early in the third quarter. If Gano converts on at least one of the two, it is a whole different ball game at the end. Rivera does not even ponder going for two because with the made extra point or field goal, Carolina is in the lead. Gano may get a pass from harsh criticism this time only because he did come through big with the 63-yard game-winning field goal early on versus the New York Giants.
Cold Scale: Pumpkin-flavored Yogurt
Main photo:
Embed from Getty Images
