Well, that happened. The Carolina Panthers faced off against the Buffalo Bills yesterday, and somehow managed to do just enough on offense to leave with a 9-3 win and a 2-0 start to the 2017 season. The defense, however, was great from start to finish, which is good because this game would have probably gone the other way if they weren’t.
But, you know the old saying: A win is a win is a win. It doesn’t have to be pretty. There was certainly a lot of ugly on display yesterday
What I liked
Panthers defense - Extremely Optimistic
The Panthers look to have a dominant defense this year. There are too many good performances from the defense to single anyone out, so I’m going to talk about them as a whole. The Panthers shut down the Bills’ run game beautifully yesterday, which is frequently a key element in their wins.
Carolina held Buffalo to 69 net rushing yards.
— Panthers PR Dept. (@PanthersPR) September 17, 2017
Since 2013, Panthers are 30-12 when holding opponents under 100 rushing yds, 2-0 this yr.
LeSean McCoy rushed for nine yards yesterday. Nine. On 12 carries. That’s 0.8 yards per carry for you stat-hounds. You can’t ask for anything better than that from your defense. McCoy also caught five passes for 34 yards. 43 total yards and no touchdowns for LeSean McCoy? I’ll take that every day and twice on Sunday.
Carolina also managed to take Tyrod Taylor out of the equation, only allowing him 180 total yards (125 passing, 55 rushing). Taylor was sacked three times for 18 yards.
If the Panthers defense can keep up this kind of production on defense, we could be in for a special season. Through two games the Panthers have allowed just six points. It’s easier to win games when your opponent can’t score, so the Panthers should try to keep up this defensive dominance.
I cannot come up with anything negative to say about the defense’s effort yesterday. They were that good.
Kelvin Benjamin - Very Optimistic
I was pleased with Benjamin’s performance yesterday. He was connecting well with Cam Newton on slant routes in the middle of the field, and would have had a nice touchdown grab if not for a great play by the Bills’ defensive back in the end zone to knock the ball away at the last second. Six grabs for 77 yards is nothing to sneeze at. A touchdown (or two) would have made his day much better, but I can’t complain too much about what he was able to produce.
Cam Newton - Somewhat Optimistic
I went back and forth in my mind on where to put Cam’s performance, but eventually I decided that I can’t be too hard on him since he didn’t create any turnovers and the Panthers won the game.
There were times where he looked great, like when he avoided pressure, stepped up into the pocket and delivered a strike to Benjamin in the 4th quarter. There were other times where he looked bad, like the overthrown ball to Christian McCaffrey on 3rd and goal late in the 4th quarter where a touchdown would have sealed the win. Overall he looked okay, going 20-for-32 with 228 yards and 0 touchdowns or interceptions. He was sacked six times, though... but that’s not his fault.
Speaking of those sacks...
What I didn’t like
Panthers offensive line - Extremely Pessimistic
Cam Newton was sacked six times for 50 yards yesterday. I know the Bills have a monster defensive front seven, but come on guys. You’ve got to be better at giving Cam Newton the protection he needs to make plays. There were times where Newton had time in the pocket to make some quality throws down field to the receivers, and there were other times where there wasn’t even a sliver of pocket for Cam to step into. This has to improve if we want Cam to play all 16 games this season and live to tell the tale.
Greg Olsen’s injury - Extremely Pessimistic
This could be bad, folks. There are reports speculating that Olsen suffered a broken foot in the first half yesterday. All we can do while we wait is hope the injury isn’t too serious. Without Greg Olsen, the Panthers’ offense is in a lot of trouble.
Kicking a FG on 4th and goal in the 4th quarter - Very Pessimistic
It worked out in the end, but don’t you remember what happened in 2013 when you settled for a late field goal, Ron? Go for the throat, man.
What’s next?
The New Orleans Saints come to town for the first NFC South clash for the Panthers. The Saints are notoriously bad on defense, so the Panthers will hope to get their offense back on track and start the season 3-0 before an important game against New England in Week 4.