Analysis: Panthers started Sam Darnold to see what they had. They saw what they needed
READ MORE
Panthers at Saints
Expanded coverage of Carolina’s Week 17 NFL game.
Expand All
The situation was set up almost perfectly for quarterback Sam Darnold.
The Panthers trailed by eight points. There were two minutes left and Darnold had a chance to lead the Panthers to a game-tying drive, and perhaps convince the Panther faithful that he could be their temporary solution until they found their future franchise quarterback.
Coach Matt Rhule opted to start Darnold over quarterback Cam Newton on Sunday against the New Orleans Saints because he needed to see what he had in Darnold, who they invested so much into prior to the season. Darnold is also the only quarterback guaranteed to be on the roster next season.
But Darnold and the Panthers failed to rise to the occasion once again. The drive ended in a interception, and the Panthers dropped their sixth consecutive game, losing to the Saints, 18-10, at Caesars Super Dome in New Orleans.
While the loss wasn’t as bad as the one against the Buccaneers last week, the same issues continue for Carolina.
Poor offensive line play. Safe play-calling. Average-to-below average quarterbacking. And a defense that played well early, but wore down late.
“We all busting our ass to go out there and fight to win, and not have the outcome (we want),” linebacker Shaq Thompson said. “That s--- is frustrating.”
Darnold, who finished 17 of 26 for 132 yards and an interception started the game hot. The Panthers gained 132 yards on their first two drives and were 3 of 4 on third-down conversions
He completed his first nine passes for 88 yards, the most completions to start a game in his career. The Panthers scored on their first two possessions and led 10-3 with 13 minutes left in the second quarter after rookie running back Chuba Hubbard’s 21-yard touchdown run.
But after that, their offense got stagnant, gaining only 2 net yards in their next five possessions.
Darnold was sacked seven times against the Saints, with defensive end Cam Jordan credited for 3.5 of them.
It was the second time in as many games that the Panthers’ offensive line has allowed seven or more sacks.
“When you have 11 different offensive line combinations, when you have guys getting elevated from the practice squad, you’re not going to have the unity that you want, the cohesion you want,” Rhule said. “I don’t care who you are at quarterback, it’s going to be difficult.”
Not helping matters was the Panthers’ average starting field position being the 19.5-yard line. And when backed up deep, the play-calling was noticeably safe: A lot of runs and screen plays that didn’t work.
Darnold did make some nice plays against the Saints and was accurate with his passes. One of his best plays was a third-and-5 late in the third quarter while trailing 12-10; Darnold hit rookie receiver Terrace Marshall on an eight-yard comeback route. Darnold was chased from the pocket by Jordan but still managed to make the play.
In past games, that kind of play led to an interception. But Darnold, who said he went back and looked at film while he was out six weeks with the shoulder injury, made a perfect pass to convert the first down. The pass helped put the Panthers in field goal position with a chance to take the lead, but kicker Lirim Hajrullahu missed what would have been the go-ahead 47-yard try with 12:04 left in the fourth quarter.
The Panthers are married to Darnold for another year. Before the season began, they picked up the fifth-year option on his rookie deal, guaranteeing him $18.9 million for the 2022 season.
And though the missed go-ahead field goal was not Darnold’s fault, nor was the lack of protection, the Panthers are still searching for a quarterback who displays far more highs than lows, someone who can consistently throw for more than 200 yards passing and can help put points on the board.
Darnold still doesn’t do enough of that.
“I think the biggest thing is staying in those second-and-medium, and getting in those third-and-shorts, where you can start to attack the defense,” Darnold said. “When you get in third-and-long the defense can pin their ears back.
“When you start to get short completions, it starts to open up things down the field. I think it’s something we need to continue to look at.”
Perhaps Darnold could make more plays with a better offensive line.
But the Panthers don’t have that, and won’t have that for at least another year. If the NFL draft were to happen today, the Panthers would pick sixth. The 2022 NFL draft is said rich with talented offensive linemen, and the Panthers should be able to find a quality player with the sixth pick. ESPN’s Todd McShay had the Panthers taking Mississippi State offensive tackle Charles Cross with the sixth pick in his December mock draft.
The Panthers have one game left this season against the Bucs, who beat them 32-6 last week and sacked Darnold and Newton a combined seven times. Tampa Bay, which already clinched the NFC South, is playing for home-field advantage in the playoffs and likely won’t be resting its starters. While the game will be another opportunity for Rhule to evaluate Darnold for next season, Darnold’s numbers against the Saints and for the season should already be evident.
Darnold has thrown seven touchdowns, 12 interceptions, has lost three fumbles and is 4-6 as a starter this season. He played better Sunday than he was in Weeks 4-9, when he turned it over 11 times in that stretch, but still not good enough.
“Bottom line is just everyone is not playing good enough,” Darnold said. “Me, Cam. Everyone on offense. We’re just not playing well enough to win games. It’s as simple as it is.
“I think we’ve got to continue to make adjustments and go down to Tampa and get a win.”
This story was originally published January 2, 2022 at 8:57 PM.
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
