Which Carolina Panthers did well on the final test of the 2023 season?
Here are the best and worst Pro Football Focus grades from the Week 18 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers:
Best of the offense
1. RB Raheem Blackshear: 88.4*
2. RT Taylor Moton: 84.3
3. LT Ikem Ekwonu: 78.1
4. RB Miles Sanders: 76.7
5. C Bradley Bozeman: 62.0
*Played three offensive snaps
Moton and Ekwonu graded the road for the Panthers, earning an 83.9 and an 81.5 in run blocking. Ickey, however, was charged with three pressures—one of which resulted in a sack.
Worst of the offense
13. RG Gabe Jackson: 53.0
13. WR Adam Thielen: 53.0
15. LG Nash Jensen: 47.6
16. WR Terrace Marshall Jr.: 44.1
17. TE Stephen Sullivan: 35.3
Thielen and Sullivan were responsible for one drop apiece.
Marshall Jr., who was active for the first time since Week 10, was called for an illegal formation penalty that wiped out Blackshear’s 28-yard touchdown run.
Best of the defense
1. LB Deion Jones: 91.4
2. DT Derrick Brown: 87.6
3. CB Jaycee Horn: 83.2
4. LB Frankie Luvu: 75.4
5. S Jeremy Chinn: 73.4
Brown’s team-high seven tackles helped him set a new single-season NFL record for a defensive lineman.
After missing out on last week’s loss, Horn came back with a bang—posting an 82.9 grade in coverage. He allowed four catches for 25 yards on eight targets.
Worst of the defense
19. OLB DJ Johnson: 57.0
20. DT Shy Tuttle: 56.8
21. OLB Brian Burns: 47.4
22. DE LaBryan Ray: 42.5
23. DE Chris Wormley: 26.0
Burns notched two pressures, including his eighth sack of the campaign. But he wasn’t too stout against the rush, as he was saddled with a 49.9 grade in run defense.
