3 things Panthers QB Sam Darnold must do better through Week 4
By Dean Jones
Sam Darnold must improve his deep-ball
Much has been made about the lack of production from the likes of Terrace Marshall Jr. and Robby Anderson through the opening four weeks of the season. But quarterback Sam Darnold also needs to do a better job of finding them when they get open on deep routes.
This was more glaring than ever at the Dallas Cowboys, where Darnold missed both talented wideouts a few times when they got open for potentially big gains – one of which led to a crucial interception.
Anderson, in particular, is doing everything he can to put himself in the right position for Darnold to succeed. The pair developed strong chemistry during their time together on the New York Jets, but things just haven’t come together as the Carolina Panthers had hoped yet.
There is plenty of time to rectify this. And a lot has to do with a distinct lack of protection from certain members of the offensive line that’s making things difficult to go through reads correctly.
Darnold has a cannon for an arm. That isn’t up for debate and there have been plenty of impressive highlights in this aspect to build on.
If he can slightly improve his ability to stretch the field when the right opportunity arises, it could take his game to completely new heights.