Christian McCaffrey Strengthens MVP Campaign

The Panthers were able to get a nice jump start to the second quarter getting two quick passing touchdowns to Christian McCaffrey and Curtis Samuel. The Panthers defense bent, but it did not break near the end of the game as they held off the Titans, winning 30-20. Let’s take a closer look at the game.

Kyle Allen Spread The Ball Around

The biggest critique on Allen for most of the season has been his inability to spread the ball around to different targets. Fans were pleased to see his ability to do so Sunday. D.J. Moore had seven receptions for over 100 yards. Curtis Samuel had three receptions for 60+ yards and one touchdown. Even Greg Olsen had a few receptions, along with a TD throw to Christian McCaffrey. Kyle Allen looked crisp and nice on the field. He was able to make some really tough throws into coverage. It was definitely a much improved game compared to the one against the 49ers in which he threw three interceptions. Although Allen did throw an interception in this game, it was a tipped ball that bounced off the receiver.

Christian McCaffrey Cannot Be Stopped

McCaffrey once again had a phenomenal game. The Titans could not contain him at all. He rushed for 146 yards on 24 carries with two rushing touchdowns. The most notable rushing touchdown was a 58 yard sprint straight through the middle of the defense of the Titans. He also had a receiving touchdown in the flats that was one of the easiest touchdowns he will ever score. So far, McCaffrey’s stats through week nine are 881 rushing yards, ten touchdowns, along with 363 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns. Going into week ten, he is on par to have a great season, and with luck, he has the ability to hit the 1,000 yard mark next week if he has a good game.

The Panthers Defense Bent, But Didn’t Break

The Panthers defense in the end had the last laugh, but it wasn’t without a struggle. The run defense of the Panthers, which ranks 27^th in the league, showed their true colors during some parts of the game. Derrick Henry had his moments where he would break off runs and Carolina would struggle to tackle him and slow him down. Even though he was held to only 63 yards rushing, the defense did have moments where they would struggle. The pass defense had two interceptions and for the most part was able to frustrate Ryan Tannehill. The pass rush of the Panthers also had a good day as they had four sacks, adding to their total on the year. The defense as a whole has 34 sacks on the year.

Overall Performance

Overall, the Panthers played a good game and had a nice bounce back game from their blowout loss to San Francisco. It was a good win at home before the team heads out to the frozen tundra of Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Panthers will have a tough matchup ahead of them as they will head to Green Bay to take on the Packers in Lambeau. Carolina will likely be taking notes on how the Los Angeles Chargers shut down the Packers since they held Aaron Rodgers to less than 200 yards passing. Considering how weak the Chargers are offensively, and they were still able to score points, I don’t have a doubt that the Panthers have a shot to take them out on the road. It should be a fun, but cold game to watch.

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