Carolina Panthers Report Card: Offense vs Vikings

Grading out how the Panthers' offense performed in their week 12 loss to Minnesota

The Carolina Panthers fell to 4-8 this Sunday with a road loss to the Minnesota Vikings. The offense really struggled to do much of anything and ultimately cost the Panthers the game. Carolina had two defensive touchdowns in the game and still lost, which should tell you about the day the offense had.

Here's how each phase of the offense graded out in week 12:

Pass game: C-

You could make the case for this being a "D" and I really wouldn't disagree with you. The only reason I have the grade slightly higher is because Teddy Bridgewater did connect on a handful of explosive plays in the passing game including a 41-yard touchdown to Robby Anderson and a 35-yard prayer to Curtis Samuel at the end of the game. 

In Bridgewater's first game back, he looked a bit rusty. He was late on some throws and looked like he was unsure of himself when going through his reads, which is very unusual for Teddy. Normally, he gets the ball out of his hands quick and doesn't hesitate when going through his progressions. Being late on one play cost him as he threw an interception in the red zone to linebacker Eric Kendricks on a pass that was intended for Mike Davis. 

Run game: C

The rushing attack was....alright? Looking at the numbers, the team averaged 3.8 yards per carry, but the longest run of the day was only for 13 yards (Cannon and Smith). Mike Davis' longest run of the day was on the first play of the game which went for 10 yards. The run game was good enough to keep the defense guessing, but the lack of explosive plays is what was concerning.

Blocking: C

The Vikings were not able to record a sack on Teddy Bridgewater but did register three QB hits and six tackles for loss. Even those numbers aren't terrible but what doesn't show up is how many times the pressure collapsed the pocket and forced Teddy to make a quick decision. It wasn't the offensive line's worst performance by any means, but it wasn't their best. Right tackle Taylor Moton played a darn near perfect game.

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