Welcome to Step UP or Step OUT, a new for 2017 series on CSR that is intended to look at players who are playing well, and highlight a few that need to step their game up. Think of it as a heat index for the Carolina Panthers, guys who are playing well are stepping up, and those who aren’t need to improve their game or... step out.
This week, we are looking at guys who really excelled in the win over the New England Patriots, and who needs to improve a bit more if we hope to continue our success against the Detroit Lions.
Steppin’ UP
Devin Funchess
Funchess returns to this column because he has just been excellent ever since Greg Olsen left the field, and we needed him to step up. On Sunday, he had his best career performance, notching 7 catches for 70 yards and 2 touchdowns. Perhaps most impressively, he made a critical catch for a first down on the final drive after exiting the field for cramps, but returned to make the play even while still in pain. For a guy who has had his toughness questioned before, Devin showed us all something. I hope I can keep him here all season.
Cam Newton
Cam has been firmly in the Steppin’ Out column these past two weeks, but finally righted the ship and shook the rust off the cannons against the Patriots. While I will still be anxious to see him “prove it” against a tougher defense, this was a wonderful sign that the rumors of the demise of Cam Newton were greatly exaggerated. He checked all the boxes this past week, and any time you can march your team into Foxboro and get a win against Tom Brady, you’re doing a great job.
Julius Peppers
I lauded him in this week’s Hog Molly Report, and I’ll laud him here once again. Peppers won the great nursing home brawl between himself and Tom Brady, and the proverbial GOAT probably wishes he’d have wandered out to pasture instead of coming back for another season. Two more sacks clamped firmly onto his belt, Peppers prepares to ride into Detroit and get his truck sized arms on another squishy target in Matthew Stafford.
Steppin’ OUT
Tyler Larsen
The Steppin’ OUT section is going to be a little nitpicky this week, because heck, there weren’t a lot of egregious mistakes in this one. First I’d like to talk about Tyler Larsen, who for a depth player, is on the whole doing fairly well. Looking to the future though, it seems likely the Panthers consider him the heir apparent to Ryan Kalil. For him to get close to the level Ryan Kalil was on at his peak, Tyler is going to need to break a few bad habits in pass protection, many of which are minimized by his position on the interior. He leans way too far forward, which will make him vulnerable to the rip and swim technique by a faster DT. His footwork is messy working away from the line of scrimmage, which could lead to problems when Cam is under center. All that said, he’s doing alright.
Demetrious Cox
Like Larsen above, we are talking about a depth player thrust into sudden action, so expectations must be rightfully tempered. It wasn’t any secret to anyone that the Panthers were going to have trouble should an injury befall Kurt Coleman or Mike Adams, so naturally that prophecy came to pass. Cox was a liability at safety, though we have seen worse, and we were talking about a team that could easily identify and exploit that matchup. Rob Gronkowski’s existence doesn't make that easier either. This week, don’t be surprised if newly signed safety Jairus Byrd is thrust into action immediately.
Mario Addison
We’re starting to see a trend that the scouting report for Mario Addison is spot on. Above average pass rusher, suspect defending the run. Through four weeks, that is bearing itself out. The Panthers have been middle of the pack on running plays, and the New England Patriots simply copied what the New Orleans Saints did before them, which is attack the edges and use a fullback to eat up a linebacker.
Luckily for us, Luke Kuechly is awesome, because sometimes he can shoot the gap and make the tackle before a running back chooses a lane. Other times, the play goes for a solid eight yard gain or so. When this happens, the offense is typically hitting the B or C gaps to Mario’s side, and sometimes not only is he unable to disengage or set an edge, but he straight up gets driven back 3 or 4 yards. The Panthers will likely get him more help once we stop facing elite level passers each week, but for now, we’ll need him to stand his ground.
What do you think Panthers fans?
Poll
Who needs to step up the most against the Lions?
This poll is closed
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12%
Tyler Larsen
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50%
Demetrious Cox/Jairus Byrd
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36%
Mario Addison