It wasn’t pretty, but they’ll definitely take it. The Panthers just beat the Texans on their home turf, 16-10.
Here are a few takeaways from today’s win.
Christian McCaffrey is officially the NFL’s best running back
We don’t know how long Cam Newton will be out with his Lisfranc injury. Regardless of when he comes back, this offense now belongs to running back Christian McCaffrey, who put in another dominant performance despite facing a fantastic Houston front seven. McCaffrey ran the ball 27 times for 93 yards and also caught 10 passes for another 86 yards and scored a touchdown. His miraculous diving catch in the fourth quarter is proof he can make plays nobody else at the position can. With Saquon Barkley out, McCaffrey has a strong case to make that he’s the best running back in the NFL right now.
Kyle Allen has a serious ball security problem
Kyle Allen has a problem. He fumbled on the first drive of the game for the second week in a row. He did it again on a sack in the second quarter, costing Carolina another critical possession. In the second half, Allen’s ball security issues surfaced once again when he coughed up the ball in the third quarter on a strip by J.J. Watt. Allen was also less effective as a passer against the Texans than he was in Arizona. The Panthers were fortunate to come away with a win despite three turnovers from Allen. He has to make better decisions and take care of the ball going forward.
Carolina’s pass rush is phenomenal
Even with Kawann Short out, Carolina’s pass rush was undeniably on point today. Deshaun Watson was sacked six times for 32 yards lost and hit nine times. Brian Burns, Mario Addison and Bruce Irvin were all effective getting after him as part of the team’s impressive new speed rush package. This unit is going to give the Panthers a lot of chances to stay in games that they’d otherwise be losing.
Shaq Thompson was on fire
Thompson has really grown into his new role with Thomas Davis gone. He was making plays all over the field, totaling 12 combined tackles, one sack and one tackle for a loss. Thompson also played tight coverage down the field, breaking up a long pass in a key moment. If he keeps this up, Thompson should have a chance to play in the Pro Bowl this year.
The Panthers secondary is underrated
A major x-factor coming into this season for Carolina was the secondary. After four games, we’ve seen enough to say that this is a vastly improved DB group. Ross Cockrell shined in particular today, breaking up two passes and notching an interception. James Bradberry also did a superb job containing DeAndre Hopkins, who only had five catches for 41 yards. Even without Donte Jackson in the lineup, this was a tremendous all-around performance. They got a bit lucky with Watson throwing long on what should have been two deep touchdowns, but it doesn’t take away from what they have accomplished.
