5 winners and losers from the Carolina Panthers defeat vs. Vikings in Week 4

Loser No. 2

Miles Sanders - Carolina Panthers RB

One of the biggest riddles the Carolina Panthers have yet to solve centers on their running attack. Much like everything else on offense, the plays are predictable and make things difficult to generate any sort of momentum, leaving quarterback Bryce Young in a hole he rarely got out of.

That said, the Panthers aren't getting nearly enough from Miles Sanders. This spring's marquee free-agent arrival once again looked sluggish and devoid of explosiveness, rushing for a measly 19 yards from 13 carries - which equates to just 1.5 yards every time the former second-round selection touched the football.

This is unacceptable whichever way one looks at it. Sanders is dealing with a groin issue, but if it's impacting his performance to such an extent one has to ask just why the Panthers are persisting with the Penn State product as their No. 1 option.

Chuba Hubbard looked a lot sharper when called upon, which is another damning indictment on Sanders. The Pro Bowler looks like a shell of the player who gained more than 1,200 rushing yards on the Philadelphia Eagles in 2022, so a huge effort is needed to turn around his current fortunes.

Whether the Panthers sit Sanders and allow his problematic groin to heal in Week 5 remains to be seen. If he does take the field, those in power must do a better job of maximizing his strengths, which isn't pounding in between the tackles.