The Panthers almost let one get away against the Jaguars at home, but they managed to squeak out another win, 34-27.
Here are five takeaways from today’s victory.
Carolina is back in the playoff race
After starting out the season 0-2 and seeing Cam Newton go down with a foot injury, it wasn’t hard to imagine this year taking a disastrous turn. To their immense credit, the Panthers have rebounded and reeled off three straight victories. That puts them right back in the playoff race. Next up, they’ll visit London to take on the Buccaneers. If they can come out on top there, they’ll carry a four-game win streak into the bye week.
Kyle Allen needs to get under control
The magic has seemingly worn off for Carolina’s backup quarterback, who coughed up another fumble today. That brings Allen’s season total to six. He had another wiped out by a penalty. Until Allen gets his ball security issues under control, he’s going to be a liability for the offense. Allen didn’t do much as a passer either for the second straight week. He finished the game having completed 17 of 30 passes for 181 yards and one touchdown. A healthy Newton starting at QB is still this team’s best chance to win games.
D.J. Chark was a problem for the defense
Carolina’s defense has been able to shut down the other team’s No. 1 wide receiver most of this season. That wasn’t the case today, though. Chark made several fantastic plays en route to eight catches, 164 yards and two touchdowns. Other teams will surely look to repeat what the Jaguars did with him as they try to exploit any weakness they can find in a tough secondary.
Joey Slye hit a big speed bump
Joey Slye had seen nothing but smooth sailing the first month of the season. That came to an end today. In the first half, Slye had a 55-yard field goal attempt blocked by Calais Campbell. Slye also missed a 46-yarder in the third quarter and a critical extra point attempt in the fourth. It wasn’t all Slye’s fault: the kicking unit has to do better protecting him going forward.
Christian McCaffrey has all-time great potential
The offensive line helped, but McCaffrey was the man for the Panthers today. He totaled 237 yards from scrimmage and scored three touchdowns. At a certain point it’s going to get difficult to describe his exploits if we’re comparing him to other running backs. It’s still relatively early in his career, but if McCaffrey keeps performing at this level for a long time we’re eventually going to be talking about him as one of the best ever.
