5 winners and losers from Carolina Panthers defeat at the Dolphins in Week 6

Winner No. 1

Chuba Hubbard - Carolina Panthers RB

The result might have been disappointing, but there were some slight positives to take from the Carolina Panthers' latest outing. Of those, running back Chuba Hubbard was undoubtedly one.

Hubbard got the lead-back role he'd been craving after Miles Sanders was ruled out with a shoulder issue. The former fourth-round selection flashed moments of quality when called upon this season, so he was more than deserving of a prolonged look with the struggling No. 1 option missing from the lineup.

Carolina tried to get the run game going and Hubbard set the tone as a result. There was far more explosiveness and vision than at any stage when Sanders was accumulating the majority of touches, with the Oklahoma State product even going into the end-zone during a sensational start to the contest.

There was a lot to like about Hubbard's production, even if the Panthers had to move away from the running attack when things got away from them. The third-year pro eventually finished with 19 carries for 88 rushing yards and a score, which was a step in the right direction for a team that's found life extremely difficult establishing momentum on the ground.

Whether this same trend continues after the bye remains to be seen. The Panthers paid Sanders a lot of money in free agency, so they probably feel obligated to keep him in the limelight despite Hubbard boasting far superior credentials currently.