3 reasons the Carolina Panthers can beat the Cowboys in Week 4
By Luke Tucker
Carolina Panthers QB Sam Darnold has continued to develop
If the Carolina Panthers have any hope to win on Sunday, they will likely need quarterback Sam Darnold to have a big day. Fortunately for them, the former No. 3 overall pick has already shown tons of maturation during his time with the team.
He has led the Panthers to a 3-0 start for just the fourth time in franchise history and has them in first place in the division. Perhaps the most impressive part about Darnold’s performance through the first three games is not his record, but the consistency with which he has been able to make positive plays.
Because the defense has been so dominant, Darnold hasn’t had to put up crazy numbers or tons of points on the board. But the work he has done has been very encouraging, to say the least.
When Matt Rhule and Scott Fitterer traded for the signal-caller this offseason, it was no debate that he had failed to live up to his first-round billing with the New York Jets.
However, the Panthers made the move based on youth and potential. And so far, the gamble appears to have paid off.
Over the past two weeks, Darnold has thrown for 300 yards in back-to-back contests for the first time in his career, and his 68 percent completion percentage would be a personal best by far.
He is also tied for the league lead in rushing touchdowns with three and has thrown for three more, while only surrendering one interception.
The Dallas Cowboys’ pass defense hasn’t been great over the first few games in 2021, so it’s reasonable to think Darnold’s success can continue this weekend. Sunday’s opponents have allowed the second-most passing yards per game and the fifth-most passing touchdowns so far.
If Darnold can take care of the ball and continue to make good decisions, Carolina’s offense should keep on rolling and putting up points.
While it’s definitely still early, Darnold has proved that he does still have franchise quarterback potential. Even when Christian McCaffrey exited with his injury in Houston, the USC product played well.
In fact, he may have even played better and been more impressive after losing his most versatile playmaker.
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Winning without McCaffrey won’t be easy. But if Darnold continues to play at a high level, the Panthers should still have enough offensively to give themselves a shot.