4 positives from the Panthers’ Week 1 loss to the Raiders

Robby Anderson’s debut to remember

There was plenty to like about the impact Robby Anderson made during his first outing with the Carolina Panthers. The wide receiver was one of the real training camp stars and he took this form into a competitive setting from the word go.

Much is expected of the free-agent acquisition after he penned a two-year, $20 million deal with an $8 million signing bonus and $12 million guaranteed this offseason. Anderson made the play of the game when he latched onto a deep pass from Teddy Bridgewater for a 75-yard touchdown. But this was just a small part of that the wideout brought to the offense.

Anderson has a reputation for being one of the NFL’s best threats down the field. But he was able to gain short yardage when called upon during the game.

This is another strong to the player’s bow and will stand the Panthers in good stead this season. Anderson’s chemistry with Bridgewater was on point for the majority of the contest on his way to six receptions from eight targets, 115 receiving yards, one touchdown, a two-point conversion, and a lofty yards-after-catch total of 72 yards.

The Panthers didn’t end up getting the win. But one cannot put that on Anderson after the receiver made a perfect start to his pursuit of a 1,000-yard campaign in 2020.