Carolina Panthers Report Card: Offense vs Saints
It was not a pretty way to put an end to the 2020 season as the Carolina Panthers got steamrolled by the New Orleans Saints, 33-7. Turning the ball over five times and going 1/9 on 3rd downs and 1/4 in the red zone is not a formula for success, but that's exactly what the Panthers did this past Sunday.
Let's take a look at how each phase of the offense graded out.
Passing Game: F
This was by far the worst performance of the season by Carolina quarterbacks and it's not even close. Teddy Bridgewater completed 13 of his 23 pass attempts for 176 yards and two interceptions. The stat line is very good but what it doesn't show is that both of those interceptions were thrown in the end zone. That's a possible 14 points that were taken away from Carolina on passes that were severely underthrown.
Bridgewater had a banged-up knee toward the end of the first half and would eventually be replaced by backup P.J. Walker. The Panthers were hoping for a little bit of a spark offensively, but that never came. Walker did not see the field well and finished the night 5/14 for 95 yards and three interceptions.
This is going to be an area Carolina has to look to get better at this offseason.
Run Game: C
With Christian McCaffrey and Mike Davis both absent from this game due to injuries, it doesn't surprise me that the Panthers only rushed for 74 yards on the day. However, it's not because they struggled, it's because they were forced to keep the ball in the air after falling way behind in the 2nd half. Rodney Smith had a solid day rushing for 40 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries and quarterback Tommy Stevens totaled 24 yards on four carries. If the turnovers in the passing game never happen, it allows Carolina to run the football more than they did.
Blocking: C-
Yes, the Panthers' offensive line gave up three sacks and six QB hits but that was against one of the best defenses in the league. Not to mention, Carolina was down to essentially their 4th/5th starting left tackle due to several injuries, and that typically doesn't bode well. It was not the greatest of performances by any means but due to the circumstances, I can't be too critical.
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