The Carolina Panthers managed to grind out one of the more ugly wins in recent history in a 13-6 victory over a wilting New York Jets team. Ugly wins still count the same in the win column, though – and
the Panthers don’t seem to be in the business of collecting style points.
While the old heads among us may prefer the phrase “defensive slug fest” and took no issue with the flow of the game, there are a fair few in the Panthers fanbase who took some exception to the method of the Panthers win.
Let’s take a look at what made this hard fought victory so ugly for many a viewer.
Defensive lead victory
In a league where the most lauded games each week are the back-and-forth shootouts between two high flying defenses, the low-scoring defensive bouts almost always get branded as ‘ugly’. When a pair of good offenses feast on a couple of porous defenses it gets labeled the game of the week. When 2 defenses take over a game and stonewall the offenses, the game is called boring. That’s not the only reason this game was called ugly, but it’s not often a game where the total points scored doesn’t eclipse 20 gets the ‘pretty’ label.
The Panthers did manage to double their sack count on the season, have their newly extended cornerback make two of the most aesthetically pleasing interceptions you’ll ever see, and manage to maintain a lead for the final 51 minutes of the game. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, I suppose.
Untimely mistakes
A few more plays go the Panthers way on offense and many fans would be singing a much lighter tune:
Not converting on 3rd or 4th down with 1 yard to go
The Panthers tried to take a play-action shot on 3rd and 1 knowing they would go for it on 4th and 1 if it failed. Aside from the 4th and 1 rush attempt, the Panthers were also stuffed on a 2nd and 3 run. An aggressive play that did not work out.
Jimmy Horn Jr drop on 1st and 20
After a penalty on 1st down, the Panthers once again try to take a play action shot down the field. This time Bryce Young is able to step up to avoid pressure and get the ball out to Horn 35 yards down field. The placement was not perfect by Young, but good enough that it hit Horn square in the hands. The catch was bobbled and Horn was already on his second attempt to clutch the ball before the nearest defender ever made contact. Instead of 1st and 10 at the NYJ 30, it’s 2nd and 20 from the CAR 38.
JT Sanders drop in the redzone
2nd and 5 from the NYJ 30 yard line. With 10 minutes left in the game, Andy Dalton finds Sanders open just inside the redzone and puts the ball on his numbers. Sanders bobbles the catch a couple times before the defender manages to catch up and knock it down. Next play the Panthers are sacked out of field goal range and settle for a punt. A touchdown on that drive makes it a 3 point game, a field goal makes it a 13 point lead. Sanders drop effectively takes points off the board in a game where they’d been tough to come by.
Fluctuating depth chart
The Panthers had a few players returning from injury this week whose return might have thrown off some chemistry built during their time away. The most high profile of the bunch was the return of Chuba Hubbard. Rico Dowdle had put up franchise record breaking numbers in his stint as the bell cow, but Hubbard’s return to the starting line-up relegated Dowdle to snaps in every other series. Dowdle was clearly the more productive and explosive back while Hubbard seemed a half-step slower than his usual self. Still, they shared a 50/50 split in the backfield. If Hubbard is not able to knock the rust off by the next game, riding Dowdle’s hot hand would be the prudent decision.
Rookie tight end Mitchell Evans scored a touchdown in each of the last two games and appeared on the top 5 players on offense list that PFF puts out on multiple occasions. Sanders first game back he received the worst grade on the offense and dropped his only target.
Austin Corbett returned from IR to immediately fill in at LG – the first time lining up at LG in his Panthers career. An admirable job with a handful of plays he likely wishes he had back, but Damien Lewis’s presence beside Ikem Ekwonu was missed.
Not to mention, the starting quarterback took a cleat to the ankle which took him out for most of the 3rd quarter and onward. Dalton put the game away, so let’s hope he can continue his success if Young can’t go next week versus the Buffalo Bills.
