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Oh, we’re good: 5 reactions to the Panthers’ 27–24 victory over the Lions

By Johnny Wakefield
Jeff Siner TNS

After the Week 3 loss to New Orleans, some Panthers fans started pushing the panic button. Now, after back-to-back away wins over the New England Patriots and Detroit Lions, many Panthers fans are remembering 2015 and hoping to live it all over again (at least until the Super Bowl — let’s redo that).

Each week in the 2017 season, CharlotteFive will take a quick look at five things from the game you’ll be talking about in the office Monday morning. We’ll leave the analysis to the pros at the Observer.

The 27–24 victory over the Lions was only close at the end (but man, was it close), thanks to some dominant play from two familiar names and some surprising play from two new ones. Let’s get right into who and what you’ll be talking about on this Victory Monday before a short week (the Panthers face Philadelphia on Thursday Night Football).

(1) Yes, Cam Newton is most definitely back.

After last week’s victory over New England, the Panthers’ QB appeared to be back. He struggled through the first quarter (as he had through the first three weeks), but then turned it on in Foxboro, finishing with 316 yards and three touchdowns.

But that was against a poor New England defense. Could he do the same against a division-leading Lions team whose defense was better than their playoff-caliber offense?

Yep.

Cam went 26-of-33 for 355 yards and three touchdowns, and threw zero interceptions against a defense that led the league in turnover margin (+9) entering the game.

He’s back, y’all.

(2) Oh, hey there Ed Dickson.

Greg Olsen, who? OK, we won’t go that far — Greg is amazing. But on Sunday, Ed Dickson filled the injured tight end’s shoes quite well.

The former Oregon Duck has had a quiet three seasons in Olsen’s monstrous shadow, but Ed had himself a day Sunday. He finished with 175 yards on five receptions, including a 67-yarder and a 57-yarder in the first half.

That total was good for the 10th-best receiving day in Panthers history, and it was only six yards behind Greg Olsen’s 181-yard day in 2016 for best ever by a Carolina tight end.

Will he give the job back to Greg when he’s healthy? “I’m pretty sure I’ve got a text from him right now,” Dickson said, laughing. “I know he’s proud of me. I’m just holding it down for him.”

(3) CMC gets his first NFL TD.

A fan favorite since the moment he was drafted (if not before), Christian McCaffrey scored his first NFL touchdown on Sunday afternoon, so we know you’ll be talking about it.

An option play near the goal line with Jonathan Stewart and Cam Newton is dangerous enough. But throw in an inside-cutting McCaffrey? It’s impossible to defend against three scoring threats like that.

Cam hit the rookie with a shovel pass to tie up the game at 10, and the Panthers went on to score another 17 before the Lions mounted a futile fourth quarter comeback.

(4) That Kelvin Benjamin touchdown.

No analysis from me can adequately describe the beauty of this third quarter pass and catch between Cam and Kelvin. Please watch (more than once):

If the Panthers can get one of those every week for the rest of the 2017 season, I think they should be pretty well set. It feels like Cam has shaken off his early season rust and is getting back to 2015 form. Throw a healthy KB into the mix and, well …

(5) So what can we expect from this team?

Sunday afternoon was another quality win on the road against a potential playoff opponent. Are we taking crazy pills? The Panthers aren’t supposed to do that, right?

In the preseason, only two of 10 Sports Illustrated experts predicted the Panthers would make the playoffs. Statistical prediction site FiveThirtyEight had them at a mediocre 8–8.

The first two weeks were difficult wins with most of the credit going to the defense, so 2–0 felt OK.

But then Week 3 brought a humiliating 34–13 loss against a then-winless Saints team. Immediately, many assumed the team would struggle to make the playoffs, that away games against the Pats and the Lions would be too much, that Cam was rushed back too soon, that the front office and coaching staff should be on the hot seats, that the team just wasn’t good enough.

Now that pessimism feels like a distant memory.

Julius Peppers said it after beating the Bills: “This is the best defense I have ever played on.” With Cam, Ed, Christian, and Kelvin (and don’t forget Stew and Funch) on the other side of the ball, this could be something special.

We might find out just how special they are under the lights against the 4–1 NFC East-leading Philadelphia Eagles Thursday.

Photo: Jeff Siner/Charlotte Observer

This story was originally published October 8, 2017 at 11:19 PM with the headline "Oh, we’re good: 5 reactions to the Panthers’ 27–24 victory over the Lions."

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