Grading Mike Davis' First Start as a Panther
The Carolina Panthers gutted out their first win of the 2020 season on Sunday by defeating the Chargers 21-16. This was the Panthers first game without star running back Christian McCaffrey and Mike Davis did well as his replacement
Here's how Davis graded out in his first start as a Panther:
Rushing: C+
Davis finished the day with 46 yards on 13 carries, averaging 3.4 yards per carry. He had a handful of good runs, but was kept in check for the most part. He's not going to be a back that regularly hits for 20 yard gains, he's going to get you three yards here, six yards there, four yards here, and just gets the job done. Like he said earlier in the week "Mike Davis just has to be Mike Davis" and that's exactly what he did. He wasn't trying to be like Christian McCaffrey and he didn't need to be. The more carries he gets, the more he'll find his rhythm.
Blocking: A
Although Davis didn't have to do much in pass protection, he did his job and helped keep Teddy Bridgewater clean in the pocket. Earlier this week, running backs coach Jeff Nixon talked about how Davis can do a little bit of everything. "The biggest that you want out of your No. 2 running back is someone that can go in and be a really good all-around back — running the ball, blocking and catching — and Mike can do all of those things."
Receiving: B+
Again, he's no Christian McCaffrey, but Mike Davis can be a dynamic weapon in the passing game. Last week, Davis finished with eight receptions for 74 yards with six of those catches coming in the final quarter alone. This week, he picked up right where he left off with eight receptions for 45 yards and a touchdown, which was the lone touchdown for the Panthers on the day.
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