Carolina Panthers report card from Week 10 at Pittsburgh Steelers

Carolina Panthers fail prime time debut against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Carolina Panthers began with an impressive nine-play drive, including a fourth-down conversion, leading to their first game opening touchdown of the season. The momentum lasted for one play, an ensuing kickoff, before Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger found JuJu Smith-Schuster down the sideline for a 75-yard answer.

Backed up on the Panthers next possession due to a penalty on kickoff return, quarterback Cam Newton was wrapped up in the end zone and an errant pass attempt was intercepted and returned for a touchdown. In just 24-seconds Carolina went from leading 7-0, to trailing 14-7 and the onslaught had begun.

Pittsburgh scored on every possession, minus a Roethlisberger kneel down, during the first-half and led 31-14 at the break. By the end of the night, the Panthers had surrendered the most ever points scored in Heinz Field by the Steelers (52) in a mistake prone performance in all phases of the game.

Quarterback – B-

Newton completed nearly 80-percent of his passes with some misses coming from having to throw the ball away due to pressure. He found running back Christian McCaffrey for two touchdowns through the air and minus the terrible interception, Newton played well.

Running Back – B-

McCaffrey displayed his speed against the Steelers contributing two touchdown receptions and an additional score late on the ground. He totaled 138 yards and the three scores but struggled mightily in pass protection.

Receivers – B

Except for when Newton was avoiding another sack, he connected on all but approximately four passes. His receivers played well with Devin Funchess, Jarius Wright, D.J. Moore and Curtis Samuel, in addition to tight end Greg Olsen, all catching at least three balls during the game.

Offensive Line – F

Just two weeks removed from shutting out the No. 1 ranked defense which had tallied 11 sacks in one game, the Panthers offensive line crumbled. The Steelers were coming from all angles and Newton was sacked five times while repeatedly having to avoid other pressure and absorb hits.

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Defensive Line – D-

The Panthers failed to pressure Roethlisberger consistently or control the run. If not for Steelers back James Conner tripping over his own feet, the 138 yards allowed on the ground would have been even higher.

Linebacker – C-

It’s never a good sign when a safety, especially one that was disqualified and didn’t play a full game, leads the team in tackles. The Carolina linebackers fell victim to some misdirection and again struggled to contain tight ends off the line of scrimmage.

Secondary – F

Roethlisberger and his receivers exposed the Panthers secondary. Both cornerbacks James Bradberry and Donte Jackson gave up big touchdown plays, while safety Eric Reid was ejected for an illegal hit on the Steelers quarterback as he attempted to slide down the field.

Special Teams – D

After rebounding from some pitiful performances earlier in the season, the Carolina special team units struggled. The specialists all performed well but Samuel fumbled a return which led to a Pittsburgh touchdown in the second half and the early penalty meant Newton was operating out of the end zone when he threw the interception.

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Overall, an embarrassing performance in front of a national audience, but one that needs to be forgotten quickly as there remains plenty of football left to play.

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