5 crucial observations from Sam Darnold’s performance at the Falcons
By Dean Jones
Sam Darnold got help from the running game
Matt Rhule made a mistake by publicly declaring their intention to run the football significantly at the New York Giants in Week 7. Thankfully, this is something the Carolina Panthers finally managed to attain against the Atlanta Falcons.
Despite a fumble on the first play from Chuba Hubbard, it was an impressive afternoon from the rushing attack. The offensive line carved out plenty of holes for them to run, which resulted in a collective effort and a season-high in terms of yardage.
Hubbard recovered from his disappointing start to flash his potential once again. Ameer Abdullah also made a considerable impression with more preparation time this week.
All this makes life easier for Sam Darnold. Atlanta’s defense had to focus more on the running game – especially in the second half – which gave the quarterback enough time in the pocket to either deliver a pass or even take the football himself for yards on the ground.
Of course, this came to an abrupt halt in the fourth quarter when Darnold opted not to slide and took a monstrous hit near the goal-line, which wasn’t the smartest move in the world by any stretch.
Carolina finished the game with 204 yards on 46 combined carries. A trend that can hopefully continue moving forward.