4 pivotal matchups that will decide Panthers at Bucs in Week 18
By Noah Bryce
Chuba Hubbard vs. Stout run defense
Chuba Hubbard has been a bit of an enigma this season. But that’s not necessarily surprising for a rookie.
The Oklahoma State stud was brought to spell Christian McCaffrey and keep his workload down to prevent another injury. We all saw how that turned out.
Once the All-Pro went down yet again for the Carolina Panthers, Hubbard was called upon to be the No.1 guy and the result was mixed for most of the season. Whether that be coaching or talent is another matter, but the player has come on a bit of late when given the touches to make a difference.
There were moments against the New Orleans Saints’ fourth-ranked run defense where Hubbard looked truly dominant and like the player many expected him to become at the NFL level. Namely, a 21-yard touchdown run in the second quarter where he shed a tackle from a missed John Miller block and then threw off the hard-hitting Jeff Heath.
His reward for starting to gain a rhythm? Being essentially forgotten in the second half.
That aside, it will be a true test as to how much development Hubbard has been able to accomplish this season. If he can have the same type of production when the team visits the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and their third-best run defense.
This team needs to know that they can trust Hubbard with more of a load next season when McCaffrey comes back, and have a true two-headed attack for the first time since the Jonathan Stewart-DeAngelo Williams days.
Running over the Buccaneers will go a long way toward building confidence in that.