5 studs and duds from the Panthers’ loss vs. Saints in Week 17
By Dean Jones
Rasul Douglas – Carolina Panthers CB
Rasul Douglas might have started off well with the Carolina Panthers this season. But that is now a distant memory and another poor performance in their season finale leaves his future truly up in the air.
There were plenty at fault for Carolina’s demise in Week 17. They could not raise their game from a defensive standpoint to anything like the level we saw at the Washington Football Team in their final road game and Douglas was one of the main culprits.
Phil Snow’s desire to use the ever-frustrating soft zone scheme didn’t exactly help matters. Generating consistent pressure proved difficult once again without Brian Burns and this allowed Drew Brees to pick off the Panthers at will.
Marquez Callaway and Emmanuel Sanders gave Douglas a tough time, whichever player was across from the cornerback. This was not the final mark he wanted to leave in pursuit of a new deal this offseason and it wouldn’t be the biggest shock in the world if both parties decided to go their separate ways.
Some big decisions need to be made to ensure Carolina can make its presence felt more prominently in 2021. But as far as Douglas is concerned, his inability to produce the goods down the stretch has been highly concerning.