The Carolina Panthers took their fourth straight loss on Sunday—falling to the visiting Minnesota Vikings, 21-13. And while there are some negative performances to go over, there are a few men who had themselves a respectable showing.
Here are the Panthers’ studs and duds from Week 4:
Dud: HC Frank Reich
When you’re 0-4, the head coach is going to be the first person to take the flack. And it doesn’t really help that Reich stubbornly ran the ball to no avail, bungled the clock at the end of the first half and admitted to calling a play for a wide receiver who wasn’t even on the field at the time.
Dud: Offensive line
The running to no avail part was due, in part, to a punchless offensive front—which opened space for just 83 yards on 31 carries. They also allowed five sacks of quarterback Bryce Young.
Stud: WR Adam Thielen
Thielen, for the second straight week, was one of the few bright spots on offense—reeling in a team-high 76 on seven catches. He’s now totaled 18 receptions, 221 yards and a touchdown over his last two games.
Stud: OLB Yetur Gross-Matos
Gross-Matos continued to put his growth on display. Along with a sack, the fourth-year defender put an additional pressure on quarterback Kirk Cousins—one that gave way to an interception by linebacker Kamu Grugier-Hill.
Dud: Run defense
While largely stout, holding the high-powered aerial attack of the Vikings to just 130 yards, the Panthers allowed the opposing backfield to keep the rock moving. Running backs Alexander Mattison and Cam Akers combined for 135 yards on 22 totes—good enough for a 6.1-yard average.
Stud: S Sam Franklin
Franklin, who started in place of an injured Xavier Woods, scored Carolina’s only touchdown of the game. His franchise-record 99-yard interception return to the end zone certainly deserves a mention here.
