Panthers WR Curtis Samuel has 2 touchdowns vs. Falcons. How he became Mr. Clutch
If you had asked me for two words to describe Panthers wide receiver Curtis Samuel during the 2019 season, I’d have gone with “Unfulfilled Potential.”
But those two words have changed in 2020.
Now those words would be “Third Down.”
Samuel’s transformation into a third-down specialist has been one of the most welcome surprises for the Panthers (3-4), who play a home game Thursday night against Atlanta (8:20 p.m. kickoff). Samuel has changed his personal narrative by becoming Carolina’s Mr. Clutch, a drive-extending machine running his routes mainly from the slot.
Samuel’s overall stats are modest. He averages 38.5 yards receiving per game, which is 87th in the NFL and almost exactly what he averaged per game over the previous two years.
But the yards he has gained have been far more critical in 2020. Samuel is tied for No. 1 among all NFL receivers in both third-down receptions (14) and third-down receptions that resulted in first downs (11).
“In order to score touchdowns in this league,” Samuel said, “you’ve got to be able to convert on third down.”
Over and over, including three times Sunday, that’s what Samuel has done.
Samuel ‘does the dirty jobs’
Although he entered the league in 2017 as a second-round draft pick known mostly for versatility and dazzling speed, Samuel hasn’t had a play of 25 or more yards all season. What he has had, though, are tough catches in traffic — the 8-yard receptions on third-and-7 that lubricate every good offense’s gears.
Carolina head coach Matt Rhule loves Samuel, saying he has “infinite respect” for the 24-year-old receiver who also played some running back for Ohio State and now dabbles at the position for the Panthers. Rhule will compliment almost any Carolina player you ask him about, but the praise he lavishes on Samuel is rare.
“He does the dirty jobs,” Rhule said recently of Samuel. “He does the odd jobs. ... He’s got ice in his veins and he’s tough. You can probably tell that he’s one of my favorite guys, because when you need a play, he makes a play.”
It hasn’t always been like that.
In the Panthers’ 2019 training camp, Samuel seemed poised for a breakout year. He had already scored seven touchdowns in 2018 and would have a starting position full-time. He was everyone’s camp MVP that season. No one could cover him. The Panthers’ team website christened 2019 “The Summer of Samuel.”
And then. ... Samuel was just OK. He wasn’t awful — he led the team with six receiving TDs. The people who called him a total bust on social media were incorrect. But he still only averaged a shade under 40 receiving yards per game and caught barely half the balls thrown his way. It was DJ Moore who had the breakout 1,175-yard season (compared to Samuel’s 627) and became the team’s No. 1 receiving threat.
The Bridgewater factor
This season, two significant things have changed.
First, the Panthers acquired Robby Anderson, who took Samuel’s position on the outside and has played extremely well. Anderson’s emergence also has allowed Samuel to work mostly from the slot, where he seems more comfortable and often is matched up against the other team’s third-best corner.
Second, quarterback Teddy Bridgewater showed up.
Only 5-foot-11, Samuel isn’t a big target; he benefits from the accurate ball that Bridgewater throws. Samuel’s catch percentage on targets was a combined 55.1% his first three seasons with Cam Newton and Kyle Allen throwing to him.
With Bridgewater, it is 86.2% — in part because Samuel is hardly ever dropping the ball anymore but also because Bridgewater just hits people between the numbers.
“Curtis is one of the key guys in this offense,” Bridgewater said. “He does a lot of things that helped this offense go. ... You notice a difference when he’s out there.”
And when he’s not out there, too. Samuel missed one game this season, against Chicago, due to a knee injury. Carolina’s third-down conversion percentage for that game was 23.1, the Panthers’ worst of the year. They have averaged 51.5% in the six games in which Samuel has played.
I asked Samuel this week during his Zoom meeting with reporters what his favorite play of the season was. There were several choices. Along with his 25 receptions, he’s had a couple of significant runs. There was a rushing TD last week (his only score of the season) as well as a 17-yard, third-down run against Atlanta on Oct. 11th where he bowled through several tacklers and was carried by left tackle Russell Okung for a couple of extra yards.
But Samuel, who is in a contract year, picked none of those. He instead focused on a gorgeous downfield pancake block he made on his close friend Moore’s 57-yard touchdown reception at Atlanta.
“Allowing my brother to score — that was a great moment for me,” Samuel said. “I like to see other people smile. I like to see other people enjoying themselves. So being a part of that play when he scored was amazing.”
This story was originally published October 28, 2020 at 12:55 PM.
