The Panthers could have started their 2019 season off on a better foot. They lost at home to the Rams by a score of 30-27.
Here are a few takeaways from the loss.
Cam Newton was rusty
Newton seemed out of sync with his offense throughout the afternoon. He whiffed a handoff early and was inaccurate too often, especially when targeting tight end Greg Olsen. Cam’s interception in the middle of the fourth quarter on another bad ball intended for Olsen pretty much sealed his team’s fate. Newton went 25/38 for 239 yards, no touchdowns and one pick. His passer rating was just 72.2. Some rust was to be expected, especially considering Newton only played 11 snaps all preseason. He just needs to play better next week.
Christian McCaffrey was not
Panthers fans looking for a silver lining need only look at No. 22, because McCaffrey is going to have another monster season. He made a brilliant catch on a deflected pass early and ran efficiently throughout the game. He finished the afternoon with 209 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns. We may be seeing a slow evolution of McCaffrey taking over as the engine that drives Carolina’s offense rather than Newton. Today’s performance was another step in that direction.
More missed opportunities
Stop me if you have heard this one before. The Panthers could very well have won this game, if only a few key plays had gone their way. Second-year wide receiver D.J. Moore’s fumble ended a promising first drive and Joey Slye missed a 53-yard field goal in the first quarter. Together, those two plays put Carolina in a hole and made the valiant comeback effort much more unlikely to succeed. The Panthers also missed too many tackles and did not take advantage of a mediocre game from Jared Goff.
Shaq Thompson came to play
The Rams had the second-best offense in the NFL last year, and the Panthers defense struggled to stop them at times. One exception to the rule was linebacker Shaq Thompson, who really stood out. With Thomas Davis moving onto the Chargers, Carolina desperately needed him to step up and deliver on the promise he’s shown the last few years. Thompson answered the bell today, finishing with a team-high nine combined tackles.
Next up? Buccaneers on Thursday Night Football
The best thing to do when you fall off a bike is get right back on. Short weeks can be brutal, but it’s still early in the year and the Panthers will want to get this taste out of their mouths as soon as possible. On Thursday night, they’ll host the division rival Buccaneers, who they’ve beaten nine out of the last 12 meetings.
