The Panthers could use his veteran presence on the field.
He is perhaps an overlooked weapon in the Carolina Panthers offense. Wide receiver Jarius Wright, brought over from the Minnesota Vikings this offseason, was supposed to be another key weapon for Cam Newton to throw to. Instead, he appears to be on the outside looking in.
On the season, he has 21 catches for 192 yards and a touchdown. If there is one upside about the statistics, it is that he is averaging 9.1 yards per catch. With receivers aplenty in the Panther offense, he has struggled to find playing time. Especially when playing behind Devin Funchess, snaps are even harder to come by. One has to wonder what his role with the team will be moving forward.
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His best game of the season came on September 16 against the Atlanta Falcons. In that contest, he was targeted six times, catching five passes for 62 yards and a touchdown. He averaged 12.40 yards per reception. This was a game that I thought would jumpstart his production. I thought he had found a definite role and was going to be a big playmaker in the offense. After all, that was what he was known for in Minnesota. He made big plays in key situations and always seemed to make a key catch when needed.
On Thursday against the Steelers, he performed decently. Catching three passes for 22 yards, he received a 70.5 hands rating per statistics from Pro Football Focus. A nine-yard pass was his longest of the evening. Averaging three yards per reception, he was never really a threat. That was his best mark since week seven against the Philadelphia Eagles. That game, he also had a 70.5 hands rating. He has shown flashes of being able to be a weapon for the Carolina Panthers, he just has not put it together over the course of the entire season.
I want to see more out of him in the coming weeks. He has the potential to be a great complementary weapon for the Panthers passing attack. He may not be the tallest receiver on the roster (5-foot-10 ), but he has enough speed and skill to make up for it. I don’t expect him to be a tremendous red zone threat. I do expect him to be able to help move the ball down the field. Also, I’m not looking for a 100-yard game from him every Sunday. If anything, more receptions than yards would be key for him. Putting together consistent games of production would be ideal. He doesn’t have to be the main guy in the offense. Instead, he can focus on being a key contributor.
Jarius Wright needs to step up for the Panthers. Especially as the stretch run begins to come into focus, he needs to show that he can be a reliable weapon for the offense. If he can do that, the offense will be even more dangerous. Especially with his playoff experience, Wright could be the guy that propels the Panthers to a Super Bowl berth.
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