What are some of the instant takeaways from the Carolina Panthers’ superb win against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 4 at Bank of America Stadium?
The Carolina Panthers got back to .500 with their most dominant victory in some time. This was as complete a performance as we have seen from this new-look roster under Matt Rhule and was further evidence that the organization is heading in the right direction.
This was a game that the Carolina Panthers dominated from start to finish. They pulled out to a lead early and matched this with a consistency that has been sorely missing under the previous regime in recent years. For them to be at 2-2 during this stage of their rebuild is a fantastic achievement that should mean bigger and better things could well be in their immediate future.
The Cardinals are tipped by many to make their presence felt in the postseason in 2020. But they were outclassed by a Panthers team that has made remarkable strides in their first month together on the field.
There is just no telling how much more momentum this is going to generate. Carolina has some winnable games coming up over the next few weeks, two of which are against the Atlanta Falcons, so a winning record looks a lot more likely now than it did at any point during an unprecedented offseason of disruption.
Let’s take a look at four instant takeaways from a memorable 31-21 victory for the Panthers at Bank of America Stadium.
Another hot start from the Carolina Panthers
It was another fast start from the Carolina Panthers who showed the right sort of defensive intensity matched with a flawless ability to move the ball quickly downfield.
This was another notable highlight of a tremendous first half overall that saw the Panthers go into the break with a 21-7 cushion. Teddy Bridgewater did overthrow tight end, Ian Thomas, on an interception, but that was all the bad one could get from a sensational first two-quarters of action.
The Panthers might still be learning as they go, but things seem to be coming together quickly. They are playing with an increased level of confidence and it’s evident they are being given the right sort of freedom to express themselves with a relative lack of expectations on their shoulders.
This is an encouraging sign for the remainder of the campaign. One didn’t expect miracles from Carolina in the first few weeks of the season. However, few would deny they have not been better than originally advertised.
They are only going to get better with more experience playing together. The Panthers have shown steady improvement week by week and their coaching staff also deserves a large amount of credit for making noticeable adjustments with every passing game to eradicate problem areas.
The Carolina Panthers were more clinical in the red zone
If there was one thing to criticize the Carolina Panthers for last weekend it was their lack of conviction in the red zone. They weren’t able to make their opportunities count inside the 20, but this is a problem they rectified in no uncertain terms against the Cardinals.
The Panthers were ruthless, especially in the first half. The offense gained two touchdowns on the ground through Mike Davis and a spectacular solo effort from Teddy Bridgewater, who also threw a short score to Reggie Bonnafon on a beautiful play-call from Joe Brady.
Brady seemed to be a lot more decisive in what plays he was handing out in this area of the field, which shows that the coaches are adjusting well with each week, too. This resulted in Carolina crossing the plain on their first four trips to the red zone, which was night and day compared to their struggles at the Chargers in Week 3.
It’s easy to forget that this is Brady’s first-ever season running an NFL offense. He worked as an assistant in New Orleans and masterminded LSU’s passing attack in 2019, but the NFL is a completely different ball game.
Thankfully from the Panthers’ point of view, everything seems to be coming together and this spells nothing but good news regarding their chances going forward.
The offensive line was sensational
To say that the Carolina Panthers’ offensive line has been a nice surprise this season so far would be something of an understatement. There were more than a few concerns regarding this patchwork group before competitive action got back underway, but they have answered their critics emphatically so far.
The Panthers were without veteran Pro Bowler Russell Okung once again, but the outstanding performance of Greg Little ensured he wasn’t missed too much. This was the second-year pro’s best game in a Carolina uniform by some margin, with the tackle providing an assurance that simply wasn’t there when he came up against Joey Bosa last weekend.
This was matched by a standout showing at the other end by right tackle Taylor Moton. The former second-round pick can now officially be considered among the best edge protectors in the NFL after a sensational start to the season, which all-but guarantees a big-money extension in the not-too-distant future.
Carolina’s interior protection has come on leaps and bounds since the introduction of Chris Reed into the lineup. John Miller showed a marked improvement and center Matt Paradis continues to excel during what is fast becoming a redemption tour following a disappointing 2019 season.
Their pass-protection was on-point throughout the game and this was another key contributing factor to their overall success.
A dominant display from the Carolina Panthers’ defense
It’s hard not to love the way things are developing on the defensive side of the ball. This is a young and relatively inexperienced group who is learning as they go, but they have come on a significant amount in a short space of time.
If their performance at the Chargers in Week 3 was encouraging, then this sort of standard is now the benchmark. They were exceptional in every department to restrict Kyler Murray from anything more than short yardage gains and one big run late in the game.
That is as good as it gets. They got some big plays from their key contributors such as Derrick Brown, Donte Jackson, and Shaq Thompson. Other rotational players also came in and make an impression, which was highlighted by the first strip-sack of the season from second-round pick Yetur Gross-Matos.
Rasul Douglas was at his brilliant best once again. He was tasked with going up against DeAndre Hopkins for the most part and although the All-Pro was clearly hampered by an injury, this does not detract from what a superb job the cornerback did in limiting his production.
This is another huge shot in the arm for the Panthers, who seem to be improving much quicker than anybody anticipated. There is plenty more football still to play, but the outlook is incredibly promising at this juncture.