Carolina Panthers Mid-Term Report Card: Offense
The Carolina Panthers finished the first eight games of the season at 3-5. There was some good, bad, and ugly throughout the first half of the year. The Panthers entered the 2020 season with a brand new coaching staff and many considered them to be in a full-on rebuild. The bizarre offseason put the team even further behind by forcing them to establish their systems and philosophies in a virtual setting. All of this makes a good case to grade Carolina on a curve but we aren't going to do that. Go ahead, call us unfair and give us bad reviews on "rate my professor". This is the NFL and we will attempt to grade as accurately as possible.
Here is how the Panthers' offense grades out through eight games:
Coaches: C+
Head coach Matt Rhule and offensive coordinator Joe Brady have put together a solid NFL system. The former college coaches did what many new coaches do and centered their offense around players that were familiar with their scheme. Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater previously played with Brady in New Orleans. Wide receiver Robby Anderson played for Rhule in his time at Temple. It's no surprise that Bridgewater and Anderson have been major contributors early on this season. Brady usually puts his playmakers in positions to succeed by getting them the ball in open space. He has, however, had one too many questionable play-calls thus far. Particularly on third or fourth and short. All in all, the coaching staff has exceeded expectations. Winning in the NFL is not easy. They have been able to string together three victories in a tough division with their best player, Christian McCaffrey, playing in only two games.
Quarterbacks: C-
Teddy Bridgewater has quickly become a fan favorite in Carolina. He has also been able to win over his teammates. Both are extremely important for a quarterback to be able to do. At times, Teddy has looked like poetry in motion by facilitating the football to his playmakers flawlessly. At other times he has struggled to push the ball down the field and taken unnecessary sacks. He is an underrated athlete that can extend plays with his legs. Some of the stats like his 2,106 yards passing and 72% completion percentage are eye-popping. Others like his nine touchdowns and six interceptions are not so impressive. Unfortunately for Teddy, there is one stat that is maybe unfairly placed on the quarterback position and that is winning. The fact of the matter is that he is 3-5 as the starting QB for the Panthers and that is why he grades out as below average.
Running Backs: A+
All-Pro Christian McCaffrey picked up right where he left off last season putting up over 200 yards of total offense and four touchdowns in his first two games. Then he injured his ankle and all hope for the Carolina offense was supposed to be lost. Insert Mike Davis. Davis has probably been the biggest surprise for the Panthers this season. He took over for the injured CMC and led the team in rushing in each of their three victories. What is even more surprising is Davis' impact in the receiving game. The 5-foot-9, 221-pounder has been one of the best pass-catching backs in the entire league this year. There is a lot of room for improvement on this Panthers' offense. Running back is not one of those positions.
Wide Receivers: A
Carolina's wide receiver room is absolutely loaded with talent. Robby Anderson and DJ Moore lead the entire NFL in combined receiving yards from two wideouts. Anderson has blossomed from a deep threat into an elite all-around receiver that can run any route. Moore continues to develop into one of the best young offensive players in the league. Curtis Samuel has also started to come around and be involved more in Brady's system after a disappointing start to the year. Brady was able to open up the offense at LSU last season because he had so many pass-catchers at his disposal. Look for him to start to spread his three talented receivers out more in the second half of the year.
Tight Ends: D-
The only thing keeping the tight ends from a failing grade is their contributions blocking for the running game. Neither tight end has done anything impressive catching the ball. Ian Thomas is a nice athlete that was supposed to break out this season with the departure of longtime Panther Greg Olsen. That has not been the case. Chris Manhertz is a blocking tight end and has done an okay job leading the way on a few big running plays. Tight end is a position that needs to be looked at in the offseason or perhaps before the trade deadline.
Offensive Line: C
The strong side of the offensive line has been outstanding anchored by RT Taylor Moton. Moton and RG John Miller have paved the way for Davis and McCaffrey in the running game. The left side has been a lot less stable. LT Russell Okung has been in and out of the starting lineup due to injury. Greg Little has been unable to fill in and consistently protect Bridgewater's blindside. The line is headed in the right direction and has played a lot better than around this time last year. Still, there is a lot of room for improvement with this unit.
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