5 Panthers players who showed out at the Falcons in Week 5
By Dean Jones
Stephen Weatherly – Carolina Panthers DE
One has to look beyond the stat sheet to fully appreciate Stephen Weatherly‘s contribution to the Carolina Panthers in their impressive win at the Falcons. The defensive end might still be waiting for his first sack through five weeks. But this was arguably his best performance since arriving from the Vikings in free agency.
The Panthers suffered some big losses to their defensive front during the contest. Stud pass-rusher Brian Burns missed the second half after taking a substantial hit that thankfully didn’t end with a concussion. And the injury-prone Kawann Short also sat out the conclusion of the game.
This meant it was essential that others raised their level of production, and Weatherly definitely fits into this particular bracket. He might have finished with three combined tackles and one solo tackle, but the level of disruption the former seventh-round pick caused provided a huge spark down the stretch,
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Weatherly has taken his time to adjust to a new starting role in a different climate to which he is used to. This represents a big opportunity for the player after earning an increase in responsibility following strong play in a rotational role behind Danielle Hunter and Everson Griffen in Minnesota. But this encouraging outing will need to be a springboard for bigger and better things with second-rounder Yetur Gross-Matos vying for more time on the field.