Carolina Panthers Report Card: How did Carolina do in Week 3 of the NFL season?
Quarterback Baker Mayfield and the Panthers won their Week 3 game on Sunday against the New Orleans Saints. Behind a blitz-happy defense, potent special teams execution and one Laviska Shenault catch, Carolina beat New Orleans 22-14.
The Panthers’ defense, special teams and rushing offense played nearly perfect games while the passing offense regressed.
Similar to Week 2, the Panthers (1-2) put a lot of good football on tape, but Mayfield and his pass catchers are falling behind the rest of the team’s development.
Through three games, 20% of Mayfield’s throws have been considered off target. He ranks 28th out of 34 quarterbacks in completions and yards. The only quarterbacks with a worse off-target rate are the 49ers’ now-injured Trey Lance, the Bears’ Justin Fields and the Cowboys’ undefeated Cooper Rush.
Let’s further unpack the passing offensive woes. Here are the grades:
Passing offense
F: Mayfield has taken nine sacks, sixth-most in the NFL.
That’s because teams are heavily blitzing Carolina. Mayfield is getting blitzed 38.5 percent of the time, the highest rate in the NFL.
The Saints were second in blitz rate versus Carolina despite entering Sunday as the 30th-ranked blitzing team.
Saints coach Dennis Allen (a former defensive coordinator) likely watched Giants defensive coordinator Wink Martindale blitz Mayfield with the fourth-highest Week 2 rate and copied his game plan.
Through three weeks, teams are not respecting Mayfield. The plan is to send five defenders (when four or fewer defenders rush a play is not a blitz) and bet he becomes overwhelmed or cannot figure it out.
Carolina had five passing first downs against New Orleans. The Chicago Bears had the same amount against the Houston Texans.
Only Texans quarterback Davis Mills and the Saints’ Jameis Winston are being blitzed more than Mayfield. That will continue until offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo proves he can give Mayfield more clear pre-snap answers.
The passing woes are not all on Mayfield. Receivers are not consistently opening. That blame falls on play design and individual skill. Tackles Ikem Ekwonu and Taylor Moton also are not playing blue-chip football. Both have the traits to execute at elite levels and must start doing so.
Rushing offense
A: It is not coming easily but once again Carolina proved it can run the football against a formidable defensive front.
Christian McCaffrey is the first running back this season to notch consecutive 100-yard games.
The Panthers are relying on inside-hitting runs to punish defenses. Guards Brady Christensen and Austin Corbett plus center Pat Elflein are consistently playing in unison and executing their assignments.
How can the rushing game improve? Carolina needs to start routinely marrying its run design to its play-action game. Too often it appears the Panthers are calling spot plays rather than executing a four-quarter game plan.
Passing defense
B: The final box score does not justify how Carolina played in coverage.
Before the Saints’ final drive, Winston had 263 passing yards. Receivers Chris Olave and Tre’Quan Smith had 99 and 57 yards, respectively.
Carolina closed the game playing mostly soft, deep coverage. It’s not an excuse for allowing three consecutive explosive plays, including a 4-yard touchdown which Winston threw into triple coverage, but context matters.
Panthers cornerback Jaycee Horn did not allow a catch, was targeted twice and made the game-sealing interception. Winston had a zero passing rating when throwing at Horn.
Any defense that can hold Alvin Kamara to under 15 yards receiving deserves credit.
Rushing defense
A: Much like its rushing offense, the Panthers’ front seven proved they can control the line of scrimmage.
In back-to-back weeks, the Panthers have held a Pro Bowl running back in check.
“It lets you know that you can control the game,” Rhule said of running the ball and defending the run. ”You can get into games and be behind or be ahead, but you want to control the game, you want to control the line of scrimmage.”
It’s rush defense also forced the team’s first turnover. Linebacker Frankie Luvu stripped Kamara late in the first quarter, allowing defensive end Marquis Haynes to scoop and score.
Special teams
A: Kicker Eddy Pineiro has been automatic points this season.
He made three kicks and an extra point on Sunday. After three games, he is six-for-six on field goal tries and five-for-five on point-after tries. His 26 points scored is fifth most in the NFL.
Rams receiver Cooper Kupp is the highest scoring non-kicker thus far with 24.
This story was originally published September 27, 2022 at 3:31 PM.
