Carolina Panthers rookie WR Devin Funchess finally showing what he can be

There are unofficial milestones in the lives of young men.

Their first pair of adult-sized shoes, or their first shave, or when they finally beat their dad in a game of basketball in front of the garage.

Sunday, we watched Carolina Panthers rookie receiver Devin Funchess grow up.

In the 44-16 demolition of Washington, the second-round draft pick showed what he can be.

“I kind of took him under my wing and talking to him, trying to give him that big brother guidance,” quarterback Cam Newton said. “Sometimes it’s going to be good, you know, sugar to the soul. And sometimes it’s going to be something he doesn’t want to hear but he has to hear.

“He’s growing up to the player that we all want him to be.”

Funchess caught four passes for 64 yards and a touchdown as he proved his worth for the third consecutive game.

What took so long?

The Panthers picked the 6-foot-4 Funchess out of Michigan to pair with 6-5 Kelvin Benjamin, but Benjamin’s 1,000-yard rookie season may have skewed expectations.

Then Funchess dealt with hamstring and back issues, causing him to miss crucial reps in his first NFL training camp. More than anything, he missed working on his timing with Newton, who delivers the fastest ball Funchess has ever caught.

The result was six receptions in six games with five drops, including two in a victory over Seattle in Week 6.

“Those drops you saw were mental. It was all me,” Funchess said. “In the Seahawks game, that was all on me. I was just trying to do too much. It’s not that I wasn’t comfortable out there on the field, it was just me trying to do too much.”

Funchess says he’s always been a hands catcher, meaning that he doesn’t allow the ball to come into his body and trap it. Earlier in the season, he was focused on yards after the catch and wasn’t succeeding at actually catching the ball.

The Panthers weren’t worried about his hands as much as they were him getting separation against defensive backs. He struggled to use his body and strength to create gaps between himself and the defender.

So receivers coach Ricky Proehl has been working with Funchess in recent weeks by studying extra tape. That work is paying off.

Against Green Bay he had three catches for a career-high 71 yards. Last week at Tennessee he had two catches for 41 yards.

And with Sunday’s four grabs – a career high – for 64 yards, he’s now over the 200-yard mark this year.

Perhaps Funchess’ best catch was his longest on the day. On third-and-13 from midfield, Newton looked for Funchess deep. The rookie was guarded closely by Chris Culliver, who has seen better days as a cornerback.

Not wanting to tip off Culliver, Funchess didn’t show his hands until just as the ball arrived. The play went for 35 yards – the longest on the day for Carolina.

“He really came into this under control,” Panthers coach Ron Rivera said. “I like the routes that he ran. More importantly I like how he went after the football. Very Kelvin-esque in terms of trying to make plays. Cam put the ball where he needed to, where he could go up and get it, and he did.

“He went and got the ball a couple of times and made some spectacular catches. I think the young man is progressing very nicely.”

While Funchess appreciated his coach’s words, he still wants to be himself. He’s Devin Funchess, and he has worked hard to get to this point.

“You just got to grind. Keep grinding,” Funchess said. “I come from Detroit. That’s all we know is just to grind. That’s all I do is try to make a play when I get a chance.”

This story was originally published November 22, 2015 at 8:34 PM with the headline "Carolina Panthers rookie WR Devin Funchess finally showing what he can be."