Carolina Panthers Week 3 Report Card
It's Tuesday....which means it's time to review this Sunday's game as we break out our weekly report card grading all three sides of the ball (offense, defense, and special teams).
OFFENSE: C
Carolina's offense didn't have much trouble moving the football, but had a heck of a time trying to finish off drives in the red zone. This was an area that Matt Rhule said would be important vs the Chargers, but luckily, it didn't end up costing them the game. Teddy Bridgewater was efficient and was one of the bright spots of the offense. Although Mike Davis played well for the most part, he still only rushed for 46 yards on 13 carries. The offensive line has to create more room to run for the backs and more so now than ever with Christian McCaffrey out.
DEFENSE: C+
I almost went with a B here, but tackling and stopping the run is still two big areas of concern for this defense. Austin Ekeler and Joshua Kelley ran for a combined 97 yards on 20 carries and one touchdown. The Chargers also converted 10 of 15 3rd down opportunities, which normally would keep you from winning games. With that said, it was certainly the best the defense has played through three games. Guys were flying around and playing with confidence and yes, finally get some pressure on the quarterback.
SPECIAL TEAMS: A+
Kicker Joey Slye was the MVP of the game, connecting on all five of his field goal attempts. Punter Joseph Charlton pinned the Chargers down at their own one yard line on the final drive of the game and he can credit that to long snapper J.J. Jansen who did an incredible job of downing the ball before his momentum took him into the end zone. If the Panthers can get this level of production from the special teams unit each week, they'll continue to be in a good position to win games.
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