The Carolina Panthers pulled away late in the game on Sunday to give the Panthers a handy win over the Jets. It wasn't always easy, with New York keeping the game close on the back of a surprisingly stout run game that gave the defensive front all it could handle.
Three up
Greg Hardy (+3.5)
The Panthers needed a big game from Greg Hardy in the worst way, and he came through. It was clear Charles Johnson was off his game, likely still recovering from flu-like symptoms, which allowed Hardy to assert himself.
It was fun seeing Geno Smith run for his life away from the Kraken. He never got far though, being sacked once, hit four times and pressured on another two occasions. Great all-around game from Hardy.
DeAngelo Williams (+2.1)
He didn't break 100 yards rushing or score multiple touchdowns, but this was a complete game from the veteran tailback. Williams long screen pass was his most impressive play of the season, and averaging 5.4 yards per carry was nothing to sneeze at.
Pairing Williams with Mike Tolbert is enough to ride through the playoffs, even if Jonathan Stewart is unable to return.
Captain Munnerlyn (+1.7)
How many years have we been saying on CSR that Munnerlyn needs to be out of coverage and used as a joker? Whatever the reason behind moving him around the line of scrimmage it needs to continue. Two sacks, an interception and a touchdown were all amazing.
Three down
Melvin White (-3.4)
It was a rough day for the undrafted free agent. He finished with a team-low -2.3 rating in coverage, while committing three penalities on Sunday. White is a really nice developmental piece to build on, he's just not ready to be starting NFL games yet.
Ryan Kalil (-2.9)
It is what it is. Kalil was responsible for blocking Muhammad Wilkerson, one of the league's best defensive players. There's no shame in being bested by Wilkerson and this game wasn't indicative of his season.
Greg Olsen (-1.6)
Olsen had an excellent day catching the ball, but his run blocking was so bad (-4.9) that it pulled down his entire game rating. Personally, I'd weight the receiving day a little more heavily -- but in-line blocking is a key element of the tight end position that Olsen has never been great at.