4 Panthers players who’ve exceeded expectations at midseason point

John Miller – Carolina Panthers OG

John Miller took his time to get going over the first two weeks. But he has been a stout presence from an interior protection perspective ever since.  Even though the Carolina Panthers struggled to protect Teddy Bridgewater on Thursday Night Football, the free-agent signing was the only player not to give up a single pressure to an opposing pass-rusher.

This was another confidence boost for Miller, who has now fully acclimatized to his new surroundings. It’s not hard to see why the Panthers coveted him so heavily in free agency before signing the player to a one-year, $4 million deal. And even though he was considered a short-term option to fill in for the departed Trai Turner, there is a lot to like about his chances of earning an extended stay with the franchise.

Miller has given up two sacks and three penalties from 454 snaps this season. His level of production has come on a significant amount from Carolina’s opening weekend defeat to the Raiders and if they can solve their clear problems with Chris Reed at the left guard position, they might just stand a chance of coping with some sustained pressure in the coming weeks.

Despite their last two outings, the Panthers’ offensive line as a whole has done better than expected. Miller has been at the forefront of that in the trenches and hopefully, he can stay injury-free for the remainder of the season.