3 winners (and 2 losers) from Carolina Panthers' loss vs. Bengals in Week 4
By Dean Jones
The Carolina Panthers put up a spirited effort during their Week 4 defeat against the Cincinnati Bengals. Dave Canales' men were unable to hit the heights experienced during their sensational triumph at the Las Vegas Raiders. Unfortunately for the fans in attendance, being competitive wasn't enough to get another win in the column.
Canales will have plenty of food for thought after this. The head coach bemoaned individual errors in key moments as reasons behind the team's failure. Giving standout quarterback Joe Burrow so much time in the pocket was asking for trouble and they suffered accordingly. This was another bump in the road for this struggling organization, but all hope is not lost by any stretch of the imagination.
The Panthers have some games upcoming where they can give a good account of themselves. If they can emerge from the next month at .500 or better, it'll set them up nicely. But the margin for error at 1-3 is long gone.
With this in mind, here are three winners and two losers from Carolina's defeat to the Bengals at Bank of America Stadium.
Winners and losers from Carolina Panthers' loss vs. the Bengals
Winner No. 1
Xavier Legette - Carolina Panthers WR
The Carolina Panthers needed someone to step up after veteran wide receiver Adam Thielen went to injured reserve with a hamstring issue. It seems Xavier Legette is going to be that guy based on his showing in Week 4 against the Bengals.
Legette was outstanding in the first half, displaying his exceptional athleticism and improved route-running to give Cincinnati endless problems in the secondary. There were a couple of lapses in concentration with drops in the second half, but it was a pleasing performance overall.
The first-round pick out of South Carolina finished with six receptions from 10 targets for 66 receiving yards and a touchdown. He also added 10 rushing yards from two end-arounds during the clash. Legette left some yards out on the field, but this was a big step in a positive direction.