What were some quick thoughts to take from the Carolina Panthers loss against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 8 at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium?
A game between the Carolina Panthers and Atlanta Falcons at this time of year had the makings of two bottom-feeders looking for a rare victory. While that might still be the case, it felt different thanks to the distinct lack of quality throughout the NFC South in 2022.
Despite the Panthers and Falcons going through complications so far, the winner of their Week 8 contest would take sole possession of first within the division. Regardless of the standard, it was an opportunity for interim head coach Steve Wilks to generate further momentum in the hope of winning the job long-term.
It went back and forth. But unfortunately for the Panthers, an unbelievable end to the game condemned them to a hard-fought defeat in the most dramatic circumstances imaginable.
With that being said, here are ten quick thoughts from Carolina’s loss versus the Falcons in Week 8.
Quick Thought No. 1
Carolina Panthers DT Derrick Brown is elite
After serious questions were asked about Derrick Brown before this season, the defensive tackle responded with an outstanding series of performances and he was once again exceptional at the Atlanta Falcons in Week 8.
Brown was hammering everything in sight at the line of scrimmage. The Carolina Panthers have an elite interior lineman on their hands and if the Auburn product keeps this up in the coming weeks, then a first Pro Bowl selection is well within reach.
Carolina Panthers missed 1st half opportunities
The pick-six from P.J. Walker sent the Carolina Panthers in at halftime behind. But in truth, they missed a series of opportunities throughout the opening two quarters and paid the price late on.
One could make a strong case that Carolina should have been three scores up before the Atlanta Falcons started clicking. And once again, the Panthers’ defense was not the cause of these complications.
Carolina Panthers RB D’Onta Foreman was incredible
Christian McCaffrey’s trade to the San Francisco 49ers and an injury to Chuba Hubbard meant D’Onta Foreman took center stage for the first time in Week 8. This was the chance he’d been waiting for and the running back made the most of it with another eye-catching performance.
Foreman’s physical running style caused problems all afternoon en route to 118 rushing yards and three touchdowns from 26 carries. Another sign that the former Texas star should have been given meaningful carries from the start of the season.
Carolina Panthers defense started well but faded
There was a lot to like about the way Carolina’s defense performed. They started on the front foot with Donte Jackson’s interception and continued in a similar fashion throughout.
Had the offense been a little better this season, then the defensive side of things would be getting more love. But it’s not hard to see why general manager Scott Fitterer is keen to keep this young core together despite plenty of trade interest coming their way, even if they did fade a little late on before C.J. Henderson’s overtime interception.
D.J. Moore’s dramatic day
After his best statistical performance of the season in Week 7, there was hope D.J. Moore could build on this against a suspect Atlanta Falcons secondary missing stud cornerback A.J. Terrell. But once again – through no fault of his own – the wideout just couldn’t get going early on.
However, that told just half the story.
Moore finished the day with six receptions from 11 targets for 152 receiving yards. This included a dramatic touchdown late on and a penalty that resulted in the game going to overtime, which proved so costly in the long run.
Carolina Panthers’ special teams were poor
The strides made on special teams under coach Chris Tabor didn’t translate into Week 8. This was arguably the unit’s worst collective performance of the campaign, allowing the Falcons’ strong field position almost from start to finish.
This is an often overlooked part of the game. But in a contest such as this decided by fine margins, it was disappointing to see and out of character from what we’ve witnessed in 2022 so far.
Carolina Panthers couldn’t contain Kyle Pitts
It’s been a rough start to the season for Kyle Pitts, but the tight end was at his brilliant best against the Panthers on Sunday. It didn’t matter who was lined up on the former first-round selection, he continuously made things happen in critical moments.
Atlanta schemed things up well to get Pitts involved. Something the Panthers found difficult to counteract as the Florida product finished the day with five receptions for 80 receiving yards and one touchdown.
Carolina Panthers got a mixed bag from P.J. Walker
All eyes were on Carolina Panthers quarterback P.J. Walker on his third consecutive start and the first since his breakout game in Week 7. However, it was a mixed bag from the signal-caller overall, with missed chances and a pick-six in the first half making things much harder than they needed to be.
Credit to Walker for turning it around significantly after the break. There were some errors here and there, but the Temple product got himself out of a hole and concluded the contest with 317 passing yards, one touchdown, one interception and a passer rating of 80.4.
Carolina Panthers might need a new kicker
It was a spirited effort from the Panthers. One that had been sorely missed during the days of Matt Rhule and further highlights the increased professionalism, preparation, and effectiveness of this team under Steve Wilks.
However, it wasn’t enough. The majority of blame falls on the shoulder of kicker Eddy Piniero, who missed two crucial attempts late that might force the Panthers into drastic action with another, more dependable option moving forward.
Carolina Panthers are at a crossroads
Carolina blew their chance to take first position in the NFC South, it’s that simple really. This leaves them firmly at a crossroads at 2-6 but seemingly still in with a shout of winning the division.
Realistically speaking, it’s probably all over. Nobody will be giving up without a fight, but general manager Scott Fitterer should continue planning for the future despite this effort that ended with yet another heartbreaking defeat.