The Carolina Panthers got their season up and running with a tremendous win at the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 3.
This was a polished performance for the most part that ended a concerning ten-game losing streak dating back to last season, giving new head coach Matt Rhule his first taste of success at the next level. The Carolina Panthers had to work hard for their triumph, but they managed to thwart a late run fro the Chargers to come away from SoFi Stadium with the upset.
Not many expected the Panthers to come away with anything in this one. Anthony Lynn’s men took the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs to overtime the previous week and Carolina was also without the services of veteran left tackle Russell Okung, star running back Christian McCaffrey, and defensive tackle Kawann Short.
With their backs against the wall, the Panthers’ young roster came together to get a crucial win that will stand them in good stead going forward. There are some notable challenges on the immediate horizon in the coming weeks, so it remains to be seen whether they can build on this and put a run of results together.
It is just one victory, but it is something that Carolina should savor.
This has been a long time coming and although things might have been different had running back Austin Ekeler successfully collected a lateral on the final play, this shouldn’t detract from what a fantastic achievement this was.
Let’s take a look at four things we learned from the Panthers’ first win of the 2020 season.
Taylor Moton needs a contract extension at the earliest opportunity
This might be something that plenty associated with the Carolina Panthers already know. But Taylor Moton needs to be extended at the earliest possible chance.
The right tackle was at his brilliant best throughout their first win of the campaign, providing an assured presence on one side of the field that eventually ended with Joey Bosa taking his chances on the other side of the line due to the Russell Okung’s availability.
Moton was nothing short of phenomenal. He has propelled himself over the first three games into the conversation of best players at the position and the Panthers will not want to lose the player in free agency next spring.
The former second-round pick has displayed a level of consistency from the tackle position not seen on either spot since the retirement of Jordan Gross. Moton has a rare blend of size, strength, and flawless technique that makes him incredibly difficult to get around.
If the decision-makers were in any doubt as to Moton’s importance during this period of transition, then there is now absolutely no doubt in anyone’s mind.
Spotrac expects the lineman to command an annual salary of $16.3 million per season, which has risen by $2.3 million from their preseason projection such has been the standard of the Western Michigan product’s play over the first three weeks.
The Carolina Panthers can generate pressure
As it turns out, the Carolina Panthers can get some pressure from their defensive front after all.
This was an obvious area of concern for the team heading into Week 3. Their struggles getting into the opposition’s backfield over the first two games has been there for all to see. But Sunday’s showing was a complete turnaround in fortunes for the group.
Defensive coordinator Phil Snow may have gotten some things wrong during his baptism of fire to play-calling in the NFL. However, the experienced figure deserves credit for getting the most out of his defensive front by playing to their strengths.
They were able to generate their first two sacks of the season and were a constant threat to rookie quarterback Justin Herbert. The three turnovers secured early on came from an ability to move the pocket that hasn’t been seen at any stage during the campaign before Week 3.
Brian Burns was absolutely sensational once again and is staking his claim for a possible breakout season with a more refined game that can make an impact on any given down. Rookie defensive tackle Derrick Brown also raised his production considerably to further aid the Panthers’ cause.
Roleplayers such as Stephen Weatherly, Zach Kerr, and Marquis Haynes played their part, and although Yetur Gross-Matos gave away what could have been a costly penalty in the fourth quarter, the defense dug deep to give them a priceless victory.
The Carolina Panthers need to get better on third down
If the Carolina Panthers somehow managed to throw this game away, then questions would have been asked about their lack of ability to convert on third downs.
This was an area where they struggled throughout but became more prevalent in the second half once things got a little tense for all concerned. Offensive coordinator Joe Brady made some strange calls that gave the Panthers little chance of moving the chains and thankfully, this didn’t have an impact on the overall result.
Carolina was 3-12 in third-down efficiency, which is something that isn’t going to win you many ball games. Their defense managed to get them out of this slump with some much-improved production, but their lack of consistency prior to Sunday’s win at the Chargers means that a solution must be found to improve their chances.
Teddy Bridgewater didn’t get much time in the pocket once Joey Bosa moved over to the right defensive end spot. The All-Pro was too much for Greg Little and Trent Scott and this only complicated the Panthers’ chances of getting the necessary yards to keep certain drives going.
Brady came into the NFL with a glowing reputation after masterminding LSU’s historic passing attack to a National Championship in 2019. His start to life at the professional level has been a mixture of good and bad. But there is enough talent available at his disposal for them to become potent once all the kinks are worked out.
Special teams play was a real difference-maker
It was a solid all-round performance by the Carolina Panthers. But it would be hard to argue that the special teams unit did not have a substantial say in the overall outcome.
This is an area of the field that often gets overlooked, but the Panthers do not win without this contribution at the Chargers on Sunday.
Kicker Joey Slye was at his clinical best throughout the contest, nailing all five of his field goals attempts to continue his perfect start to the campaign in this statistic. And he even came up with a big tackle following a kickoff, the first of his career.
Another impressive element that shouldn’t be overlooked is the tremendous field position the Panthers were able to start drives thanks to Pharoh Cooper. The free-agent signing has been a superb addition to the roster and he was able to find the necessary elusiveness to make a difference when it counted.
Perhaps the most notable play on special teams was prior to the final drive, and it brought the unlikeliest of heroes.
A booming punt from Joseph Charlton was collected inside the one-yard line by long-snapper J.J. Jansen, and the veteran even managed to keep his feet out of the end zone to leave Justin Herbert with the task of going the entire length of the field.
Thankfully for the Panthers, he was unable to do so. This gave them a winning feeling that hadn’t been experienced by the organization since November last year.