Monday Morning Thoughts: Darnold's Bad Day, O-Line Dilemma + More
It was a tough pill to swallow for the Panthers on Sunday blowing a two-score lead that felt like was fully in Carolina's control. However, the offense couldn't get anything going in the 2nd half and also left some points on the field in the first half which led to the Eagles completing the comeback.
I get Sam Darnold threw three interceptions on the day but some of that was a result of pressure, him pressing, and forcing throws to make big plays happen. Carolina played behind the sticks way too often which cause some of those errant throws/bad decisions. To me, the offensive line is the biggest concern moving forward. If they can protect Darnold, he'll get the job done.
With Cameron Erving dealing with a neck injury, Taylor Moton flipped over to the left side while rookie Brady Christensen registered the first start of his NFL career. Christensen hung in fairly well considering the circumstances but you could tell Moton feels much better on the right side. He just seemed to be uncomfortable for much of the game which is understandable. When you move from one side of the line to the other, you have to retrain your feet, your hands, and oh yeah, the plays are basically flipped. It's like attempting to be a switch hitter in baseball when all you've done throughout your entire life is hit from one side of the plate. It's a hard transition which is why the Panthers didn't want to make it a full-time move in the offseason. Moton was flagged twice for getting a head start and honestly, should have been three but thankfully for him, the officials missed one in the first half.
Moving forward, the Panthers are going to have to continue shuffling the offensive line until they find the right five. Putting aside the left tackle spot, there are issues on the interior of the line as well. Dennis Daley allowed a sack, maybe two, and center Matt Paradis struggled in the run game. For Carolina to be a serious playoff contender, they're going to have to make some major strides up front. The defense can't bail the offense out every game and as we saw on Sunday, they were asked to do so too many times.
On the bright side, rookie running back Chuba Hubbard had his official coming-out party by rushing for 101 yards on 24 carries (4.2 yards/carry) while also hauling in five receptions for 33 yards. Not having Christian McCaffrey available does hurt, but I don't think the outcome would have been any different had he played. The issues lied within the offensive line and Sam Darnold who had a pretty rough day.
Am I ready to write Sam Darnold off as the long-term answer as the Panthers' starting quarterback? Absolutely not. Every quarterback has had a three-interception game at some point in their career. He didn't put the ball in good spots, forced it into tight windows, and even held onto it far too long on a few occasions. The one thing to keep in mind is that he's only five games into his tenure in Carolina and is going to have some growing pains along the way in his first year.
Next week's game against Minnesota will be a good barometer for how good this team is going to be in 2021. It's a game they should win but the Vikings are certainly not short on talent. If the Panthers can't show that they can overcome adversity such as losing two straight games, that will tell me that maybe we need to pump the brakes on the playoff talk until they show they are able to handle it.
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