4 big positives for the Panthers in their Week 5 win at the Falcons
By Dean Jones
Curtis Samuel’s third-down production
It appears that Teddy Bridgewater has found his favorite target on third down going forward. The signal-caller hasn’t hesitated to go to Curtis Samuel in these situations and it is something that was another nice surprise at the Falcons in Week 5.
Samuel collected two big grabs in the first half that enabled the Carolina Panthers to crucially move the chains, which is the latest bright spark from the wide receiver as he continues to grow in stature with each passing game.
There is little doubt that Samuel is the team’s No. 3 wideout option behind D.J. Moore and Robby Anderson, who also showcased their impressive skills in no uncertain terms in Atlanta. This might be disappointing for the former Ohio State standout. But he is making the most of targets when they come, at the very least.
His situation with the Panthers is a precarious one, with the player on the final year of his deal. It appears unlikely that Carolina will place the franchise tag on Samuel, especially if a long-term agreement cannot be reached with Taylor Moton.
However, there will come a time that the player himself might want a more substantial role either with the organization that drafted him or elsewhere. For now, the Panthers have arguably the NFL’s best receiving trio to call upon, which can only mean good things for the remainder of the campaign.