Carolina Panthers RB Miles Sanders gives blunt assessment of his play this season
Miles Sanders knows what you’re thinking. And to an extent, he agrees.
The 26-year-old running back, who signed a four-year, $25.4 million deal with the Panthers in March, is also frustrated by his poor performance in the early goings of his Carolina career.
“I’m a little pissed off with how I’ve been playing,” Sanders said. “It’s not a secret — everybody has seen how I’ve been playing. It’s not good at all.”
Sanders missed the Week 6 loss to the Miami Dolphins with a shoulder injury. But following the bye week, he was a full participant in Wednesday’s practice.
While the injury was obviously a setback, his performance on the field prior to the ailment left a lot to be desired, too.
After making the Pro Bowl during his final season with the Philadelphia Eagles, Sanders is averaging just 3.1 yards per carry in his first year with the Panthers. And despite being the starting running back in the first five games of the season, he’s been outplayed by his backup, third-year running back Chuba Hubbard, on a consistent basis.
With all of that in mind, Sanders spent the bye week self-scouting his miscues, which included a pair of lost fumbles in the critical moments of two tough losses.
“Criticize every little thing as if you were coaching,” Sanders said about his self-evaluation. “Just make sure you get better at it.”
Hubbard has produced 242 rushing yards and a touchdown on 54 carries this season. While Sanders has toted the rock 61 times, he’s only collected 190 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Sanders ranks 47th in NFL rushing yards, with seven quarterbacks ranked ahead of him.
Sanders vs. Hubbard: ‘We’ll see how the week goes’
Twice this week, head coach Frank Reich has had the opportunity to name a starting running back. Instead, Reich has tiptoed around the depth chart by acknowledging his admiration for Sanders and his appreciation for Hubbard’s performance.
“We’ll see how the week goes,” Reich said. “I mean, Chuba’s been doing pretty well. Again, it’s more about rotation and more about play. A lot of times, we have our eye on certain guys. There are certain plays, we mix it up some.
“So, we kind of get through the week, and (assistant head coach/running backs coach Duce Staley) and I and (offensive coordinator Thomas Brown) will sit down at the end of the week and kind of (say), ‘Hey, let’s put Chuba in for these plays, let’s put Miles in for these plays, let’s put (third-string back Raheem Blackshear) in for these plays.’ Try to spread that out a little bit.”
With Reich keeping the lineup open-ended, Sanders — who signed with Carolina to be their bell-cow back — will need to earn his way onto the field.
The fifth-year playmaker understands that he has created some doubt with his early performance, but he’s looking forward to proving himself down the stretch of the final 11 games, whether he’s the top back or not.
“This is the game of football and you gotta know there’s someone behind me that’s waiting to get that turn, too,” Sanders said. “I’ve got to be on my stuff — and that’s all on me. I don’t pout or nothing like that, it is what it is. Just go out there and keep balling.”
Quick hits
▪ The Panthers added a pair of veterans to the practice squad on Wednesday.
Quarterback Jake Luton, who was with the team during training camp and on the practice squad in Week 3, re-signed to practice roster before Wednesday’s workout. Luton spent three weeks with the New Orleans Saints after serving as Andy Dalton’s backup against the Seattle Seahawks.
The team also added tight end Jordan Matthews. The former Eagles and Buffalo Bills wideout tried out for the team during the offseason program in June. Matthews, a 2014 second-round pick, converted to tight end midway through his career with the San Francisco 49ers. He has 274 catches for 3,288 yards and 22 touchdowns in his career.
▪ Like Sanders, guard Chandler Zavala (neck) took part in Wednesday’s workout as well. Both players were listed as full participants. Safety Xavier Woods (hamstring), who had miss the past three games, also returned as a limited participant.
▪ Wideout Adam Thielen and pass rusher Justin Houston both sat out of practice with veteran maintenance days off. Tight end Stephen Sullivan, who was activated from injured reserve in Week 6, missed practice with an illness. Wideout Laviska Shenault (ankle) and safety Vonn Bell (quadriceps) were also held out of practice due to injury.
Right guard Austin Corbett (knee), linebacker Frankie Luvu (hip) and right tackle Taylor Moton (knee) were all listed as limited participants on Wednesday.
