5 big talking points from the Panthers win at the Falcons in Week 8

Carolina Panthers OL dominated

Now, this is not a sentence I expected to write at all this season.

However, for all the criticizing we’ve done of the men upfront in 2021, it’s only fair we give them props when they succeed.

There was still a couple of smaller issues, with right Taylor Moton getting bullied early on and blindside protector Cam Erving missing a couple of blocks, which isn’t entirely unexpected.

But on the whole, the Carolina Panthers line dominated the Atlanta Falcons, creating rushing lanes at will. More importantly, they protected quarterback Sam Darnold giving up zero sacks.

Yes, you read that right.

Most impressive was the Panthers’ interior. Matt Paradis, who has probably been the most solid on the line for Carolina this season, performed well. But the guard tandem of Michael Jordan and Trent Scott balled out.

Jordan has solidified that left guard spot, pushing former South Carolina star Dennis Daley to the reserves. And with the good play of Scott on the right, it seems the sixth-round pick must be content with being a backup for a least the near future.

Now, this is only one game, but if Carolina can build on this offensive line performance they should win some games for the rest of the season.