Panthers’ first half plays out like a video game, 2nd nearly becomes a horror movie

Sometimes the athletes in the NFL make plays that look like they came from a video game.

The Carolina Panthers made a habit of that on Sunday in a 42-28 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Bank of America Stadium.

Christian McCaffrey’s leap over a defender on a 32-yard first-half catch and run qualified. So did Greg Olsen’s one-handed touchdown catch.

And then there was Curtis Samuel’s touchdown on a reverse, the most video-game worthy of them all.

The Panthers’ second-year receiver covered 103.8 yards on his 33-yard weave into the endzone, per NFL Next Gen Stats. That play embodied a team-record 35-point first half that Panthers fans will want to remember.

Then there was that forgettable second half.

Tampa Bay roared back with 21 unanswered points after falling behind 35-7, pulling within a touchdown of tying the game. Carolina stopped the bleeding and held, but not before reminding everyone that games aren’t over ‘til they’re over.

With a Thursday night game in Pittsburgh coming up and a trip to Detroit the week after, this wasn’t a game they could afford to lose. Instead, the Panthers established themselves as a team to watch in the NFC, right alongside Los Angeles and New Orleans.

Three who mattered

James Bradberry: Mike Evans is an unquestioned top-10 wide receiver in the NFL and Bradberry held him to zero catches on six targets in the first half. Evans finished the game with one catch on 10 targets — a job well done by Bradberry.

Norv Turner: Oh yeah, throwing a little wrinkle at you here. Players aren’t the only ones who matter here, and Turner’s near-flawless gameplan helped the Panthers build a 35-14 first-half lead.

Christian McCaffrey: By land or by air, McCaffrey was the Panthers’ best offensive player Sunday, racking up 79 rushing yards, 78 receiving yards and two touchdowns. He was especially effective on Carolina’s first drive of the fourth quarter, accounting for 38 of the team’s 75-yard scoring drive.

Observations

▪ Say what you want about Eric Reid but you cannot question his toughness. The Panthers’ safety played through a visibly painful shoulder injury in the second half, but his health will be something to watch on a short week.

▪ Earlier in the week, Ron Rivera said the team needs to see what Curtis Samuel has. Two touchdowns on three touches should earn No. 10 more work.

▪ Cam Newton continued his stellar play of late, completing 19-of-25 passes for 247 yards and two scores, adding another 33 yards on the ground. Turner’s offense allows him to take fewer chances with the ball and he’s making the most of it.

Worth mentioning

▪ O.J. Howard’s touchdown in the second quarter marked the seventh straight game an opposing tight end has scored against Carolina.

▪ For all its struggles, Tampa Bay entered the day with a stout run defense, ranking 10th in the NFL with 96.9 yards allowed per game. Carolina broke the century mark on three first-half runs by Curtis Samuel (33 yards), D.J. Moore (32 yards) and Christian McCaffrey (35 yards).

▪ Olsen finished with six catches on six targets for 76 yards and the highlight-reel touchdown.

▪ Curtis Samuel had a 19-yard touchdown catch, DJ Moore a 32-yard gain on a reverse and Curtis Samuel a 33-yard gain on another reverse.

▪ Panthers safety Eric Reid returned an interception 39 yards to the 10, setting up Carolina’s first score.

▪ Donte Jackson sealed the victory with his fourth interception of the season.

They said it

▪ “I would’ve thought I was BS’ing. From him being one of my favorite players growing up to going against him, he’s a cool dude. It was fun. I never would’ve thought I’d be in this situation.” – Panthers cornerback Donte Jackson, on what his teenage self would think if he was told he’d get an interception covering Desean Jackson.

▪ “It looked exactly like the Ted Ginn touchdown when we played Arizona in the playoffs a couple of years ago. That’s what that play reminded me of. I think it’s an Ohio State thing.” – Panthers linebacker Thomas Davis on Curtis Samuel’s touchdown run.

▪ “I can’t let nothing like that slow me down. Not right now.” – Carolina defensive end Mario Addison on the back injury he suffered in Week 7.

This story was originally published November 4, 2018 at 4:36 PM.