5 winners (and 2 losers) from Carolina Panthers' triumph vs. the NY Giants
By Dean Jones
Winner No. 3
A'Shawn Robinson - Carolina Panthers DL
All the talk before the contest centered on this being a revenge game for former Carolina Panthers edge rusher Brian Burns after the player's relationship with the previous regime went way beyond boiling point. Nobody mentioned the fact that A'Shawn Robinson was also going up versus his old employers.
Robinson spent the 2023 campaign with the New York Giants before things fizzled out. He was eager to remind them what they were missing with a display of pure dominance at the Allianz Arena in Munich.
Simply put, the imposing defensive lineman was the best player on the field. He was a strong presence against the run, using his length to make things extremely difficult and meet runners quickly at the contact point. There was also a lot to like about his ability to generate pressure, which hasn't always been his strength.
The former second-round selection out of Alabama was a revelation. Robinson finished with seven tackles, two tackles for loss, one sack, and one quarterback hit. But the statistics don't do his overall impact justice. He was sensational from start to finish.
Winner No. 4
Chuba Hubbard - Carolina Panthers RB
It was a memorable week for Chuba Hubbard. The running back earned himself a lucrative four-year extension after proving his worth as a core foundational piece. This came in for some criticism in the media, but the former fourth-round selection silenced his doubters with an emphatic performance versus the Giants.
This was Hubbard's crowning career moment so far. He was nothing short of relentless, displaying patience before gaps emerged and exploiting them with explosiveness and elusiveness in equal measure behind Carolina's outstanding offensive line.
The Panthers went away from the ground game that was working so successfully for a brief period. Once Hubbard got the lion's share of responsibilities yet again, the Oklahoma State product got his team over the line.
Hubbard eventually finished the game with 153 rushing yards and a touchdown from 28 carries. He also brought in four receptions from six targets for 16 receiving yards. This was exactly why the Panthers have so much faith in the backfield presence, who'll remain a focal point even when rookie second-rounder Jonathon Brooks returns after the bye week.