The Recap
The Panthers walked into a week seven game against the Rams with a 2-3 record, and the fan base's faith in Rivera was waning with each week. A win against the Vikings the previous week was enough to bolster a little hope, but the writing as on the wall. It felt as though another season would be lost. Another coaching search was on the way for the franchise. What we ended up witnessing, however, was something unexpected. For consecutive weeks now, we saw the Panthers step on their opponents neck and refuse to let up. We were finally seeing Ron Rivera's words and personality come through in his team. They were finally prepared to twist the knife.
The Panthers played this game like the little brother that was tired of being punched in the mouth. They came out early and pressured Sam Bradford, resulting in a 45-yard pick six by O Captain My Captain Munnerlyn.
Following a safety by the Rams, the two teams traded a pair of field goals. Then Newton drove the Panthers down the field and capped it off with a 1-yard touchdown run by Mike Tolbert.
After Chris Long was ejected - thanks to being goaded into a personal foul by the Cats - the Panthers scored another field goal, before Sam Bradford finally found the endzone with a touchdown pass to Zac Stacy. Then, more magic happened. Steve Smith reminded Janoris Jenkins why it's 89, bottom line. Following several altercations, Smith finally dropped the hammer with a 19-yard touchdown catch, in typical 89 fashion.
In the fourth quarter we saw the Panthers eat up the clock and the two teams each put three more points on the board, but the biggest storyline was Sam Bradford tearing his ACL while scrambling from Mike Mitchell. Mitchell began to peacock after the play, prompting Harvey Dahl to charge him, resulting in a final personal foul to cap off a chippy game. It's unclear to me if Mitchell was aware if Bradford was hurt on the play.
James summed up the what the game meant perfectly in his Monday Morning Report:
It's taken the better part of the three years, but it finally looks like the Panthers know how to win.
Final Score: Panthers 30, Rams 15
Key Players
Cam Newton
Despite taking a couple of sacks where he could have thrown the ball away, Cam turned in a stellar performance. He may not have thrown too many passes, but he only threw two incompletions the entire game. He finished 15-17 for 204 yards and a touchdown.
Steve Smith
Steve Smith did what Steve Smith does. He got into the head of Janoris Jenkins and finished with five catches for 69 yards and a touchdown. He may be getting up in age, but nothing will stop him when his torch is lit.
Captain Munnerlyn
Captain set the tone early with an interception returned for a touchdown, something he's shown a knack for throughout his career.
Mike Mitchell
Finishing the game with eight solo tackles, a sack and two tackles for losses, Mitchell once again set the physical tone for the defense. He's a feisty player whose positive attributes are equaled by his aggression.
Final Thoughts
It's always concerning looking back to a game where three of the four major contributors are no longer with the team. Plus, to be completely honest, it sucks as a fan. It's tough growing to love guys over a season (or a career, in one special case), but new faces will in time fill the void.
When I look to the future, I'm excited. As long as there is a solid defense and Cam Newton, opponents will always find the Panthers to be a tough outing.
I know I still had a hard time believing the Panthers, sitting at 3-3 were going to go on the run they did. Opinions were still very mixed on Ron Rivera at the time, but this winning streak proved to be exactly what was needed to galvanize this team.
Editor's Note: This series is a flashback of the 2013 season game by game by new, aspiring applicant authors to CSR. If you find one that you think is well written please give it a Rec. We will use the Rec as one of the measures to evaluate and select our new authors.