Losing Kawann Short for the rest of the season is an undeniable bummer. However, if there’s one thing the Panthers don’t lack it’s depth at the defensive tackle position.
According to Pro Football Focus, Kyle Love earned the highest grade of the game this week for Carolina’s defense. His 81.4 rating even out-paced linebacker Shaq Thompson.
Love is sometimes the forgotten man given all the star-power the Panthers have at that spot. Short, Gerald McCoy and Dontari Poe have combined for 10 Pro Bowl appearances. Former first-round pick Vernon Butler has also stepped up with Short out the last couple of weeks.
As long as they all continue to perform, Short’s absence might not be the back-breaker that it would have been in previous years.
On offense, naturally the highest graded player for the Panthers was running back Christian McCaffrey, who totaled 179 yards from scrimmage on a career-high 37 touches. He led Carolina’s offense with a 79.2 grade.
McCaffrey currently leads the league in rushing yards and yards from scrimmage. If he was playing in a different era he might be an MVP candidate.
