Grading the Carolina Panthers in their Week 9 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs
The Panthers gave the Kansas City Chiefs a scare Sunday with their aggressive play-calling Sunday.
In Christian McCaffrey’s return to the field, the Panthers had a chance to pull off the upset, but came up short on their final drive. The Panthers lost their fourth consecutive game Sunday, 33-31.
Here is this week’s report card:
Passing offense
B: The Panthers got out to another fast start in the first half, behind offensive coordinator Joe Brady’s aggressive play-calling in the first half. The Panthers went for it twice on fourth down in the first half and converted both. The first fourth-down conversion was on fourth-and-3 from the Chiefs’ 9-yard line. Teddy Bridgewater found McCaffrey open for a 9-yard touchdown pass.
Bridgewater was deadly accurate in the first half. He wasn’t pressured much, and he hit open receivers. But early in the second half, the Panthers struggled to move the ball downfield. The offensive line, which was without left tackle Russell Okung, began to break down, and Bridgewater looked like he was feeling the pressure as he scurried around the pocket.
He was better in the fourth quarter.
Bridgewater scrambled on fourth-and-14 and picked up the first down to extend a drive that later ended in a touchdown.
Bridgewater completed 36-of-49 passes for 310 yards and two touchdowns.
Rushing offense
C-plus: The Panthers established the run early in the game but were forced to abandon it in the second half, after the Chiefs reclaimed the lead. McCaffrey had 48 yards rushing in the first half but finished with 69 yards on 18 carries and a touchdown.
With McCaffrey’s return, the Panthers utilized three different running backs — Mike Davis, Curtis Samuel and McCaffrey — out of the backfield. However, McCaffrey had the bulk of the carries.
Bridgewater also used his feet to pick up yards, including a 15-yard scramble on fourth-and-14. Entering Sunday’s game, the Chiefs entered Week 9 with the third-worst rushing defense in the league.
Passing defense
F: Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes showed the Panthers why he is one of the best, if not the best, quarterbacks in the league.
On Sunday, he threw his 100th passing touchdown of his career and did it faster than any quarterback in NFL history (40 games). The Panthers did a good job of limiting explosive plays in the first half and keeping him off the field.
But in the second half, Mahomes went off. Tight end Travis Kelce had a big game and couldn’t be stopped. He finished with 10 catches for 159 yards. And wide receiver Tyreek Hill had a big second half. He finished with nine catches for 113 yards and two touchdowns.
Mahomes completed 30-of-45 passes for 372 yards and four touchdowns.
Rushing defense
A-minus: The Chiefs went pass heavy against the Panthers and didn’t run it much. When they did run, the Panthers were there to stop them. Kansas City finished with 30 yards rushing on 12 carries.
The Panthers have struggled for much of this season at stopping the run. Opponents average 124.9 yards per game against the Panthers, which is ranked 20th out of 32 teams. But they found some success Sunday.
Special teams
C: The special teams had some good moments and some bad moments.
Panthers kicker Joey Slye was 1 for 3 on field-goal attempts. He missed a crucial field goal that would have extended the Panthers’ lead in the third quarter, and he also missed a game-winning 67-yard attempt at the end of the game.
Punter Joe Charlton kicked a punt that traveled only 23 yards, setting up great field position for the Chiefs.
The gusty wind was a factor in the kicking game. Some kicks that started out right, veered left. Kansas City’s Harrison Butker also missed a few kicks. But the Panthers converted a fake punt, which extended a drive and led to a touchdown.
Coaching
B: Overall, the Panthers played well. The Panthers were aggressive Sunday, going for it three times on fourth down. They also tried two onside kickoffs.
The aggressiveness of the Panthers gave them a chance to win this game. It ultimately came down to the third quarter, when the Chiefs’ offense was nearly unstoppable. Mahomes and his receivers made it look easy.
The Panthers also had too many penalties that extended drives.
This story was originally published November 8, 2020 at 4:25 PM.
