Carolina Panthers: Grades Against Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Oct 10, 2016; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers running back Fozzy Whittaker (43) carries the ball during the third quarter against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports
The Carolina Panthers dropped a tough game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and these grades represent the poor play in many areas.
The Carolina Panthers are 1-4 and struggling mightily to start the 2016 season. After going 15-1 in 2015, fans and experts alike expected the Panthers to be a contender in the NFC. Five games into the new year Carolina is playing well below expectations and reaching a point where they may be an afterthought for the rest of the year.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a team that has been marred in under performances for the last few years. Coming into this game the professionals expected the Panthers to earn their second win; especially with their exceptional record at home in the last few seasons.
What occurred is that the Panthers offense was unable to get out of the gates—sputtering early, showing some promise, then stalling out again at the end. When coupled with the sudden failings of the Panthers’ defense, there are a lot of concerns coming out of this game for both sides of the ball.
This weekly piece looks at how well the Carolina Panthers played in the following areas: Quarterbacks, Running Backs, Wide Receivers, Defensive Unit, Special Teams and Overall Play. These grades range from an A to an F with explanations and suggestions for improvement within each.
Oct 10, 2016; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Derek Anderson (3) throws the ball during the second quarter against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports
Quarterbacks Grade: D-
Derek Anderson filled in for the injured Cam Newton and struggled in horrendous fashion. Anderson has subbed in for Newton twice against the Buccaneers in previous years and was 2-0 with five touchdowns and no interceptions coming into Week 5. That drastically changed Monday night as Anderson threw two interceptions and no touchdowns on the evening. He completed 18-of-28 passes for 278 yards. His final ratings were a 12.1 QBR and a 67.3 quarterback rating.
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Anderson is a viable quarterback that has shown the ability to be a serviceable option when needed. This was a major deviation from how Anderson has played in the past and set the tone for the abysmal performance for the entire offense.
Quarterback has been a position where the Panthers are not meeting established standards all year and this is yet another game that presents that fact. The Buccaneers defense, which has not played very well all year, was able to control Anderson and his ability to move the pall around the field. He also fumbled the ball, which accounts for another turnover under his watch. It will be interesting to see how long Newton remains in the concussion protocol and if Anderson can right the ship that is this failing offense.
Oct 10, 2016; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers running back Cameron Artis-Payne (34) carries the ball during the third quarter against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Bank of America Stadium. The Buccaneers won 17-14. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports
Running Backs Grade: B
The Panthers running game came in full effect on Monday. As a unit they found a way to control the Buccaneers from start to finish. Even without Jonathan Stewart again, the Panthers running committee performed very well on Monday Night Football. As a group, the team amassed 136 yards on 25 attempts, averaging 5.4 yards per carry and ending the night with two touchdowns.
Individually, Cameron Artis-Payne was the star of the evening with a breakout performance. Coming into the year, many expected Artis-Payne to take the main backup position from Fozzy Whittaker. But Artis-Payne had a severely limited role to this point in the year. He used this game to get 85 yards on 18 carries and the only two scores for the night for this offense. Whittaker was the next big contributor with 45 yards on five attempts of his own. Anderson and Mike Tolbert also added to the box score with four and two yards, respectively.
It was good to see the Panthers’ running core return to form after struggling in recent weeks, especially without Newton’s additional support as a running threat. The offensive line also did their job protecting the quarterback and controlling the front fight, which has been another needed area of improvement. Where everything else was an issue, Carolina’s running game performed well from start to finish.
Oct 10, 2016; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers tight end Greg Olsen (88) carries the ball in the third quarter against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports
Wide Receivers Grade: C
Anderson was unable to get the Panthers’ diverse cast of receivers into the game. Only five players caught passes on Monday, yet another outing in which the group was severely limited across the board. As a unit, they caught 18 passes for the 278 yards thrown, with an average of 15.4 yards per reception.
Greg Olsen was the workhorse of the group as he once again is having a standout year at such a critical juncture in his career. Olsen caught nine passes for 181 yards; the most reception yards in one game he’s had in his ten years in the league. This is the second time he’s earned 100 yards in a game this year. Olsen has been a major part of the Panthers’ offense since joining them in 2011 and this game stands out as a major example.
Kelvin Benjamin also had a strong performance, earning 70 yards on five receptions. Benjamin is an important target for whichever Panthers quarterback is on the field and he has been hot and cold throughout the season. Devin Funchess was once again missing from the box score for the second time this season. Corey Brown, Whittaker and Ted Ginn Jr each contributed with 13, nine, and five yards, respectively.
Oct 10, 2016; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers defensive end Charles Johnson (95) and middle linebacker Luke Kuechly (59) celebrate after a stop in the first quarter against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports
Defensive Unit Grade: C-
Defensively, the Panthers aren’t giving up a lot of points, but their offense is unable to keep up with the amount of points that are going up by the opposition. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers haven’t displayed the greatest offense this year, but they were able to do enough to escape with the win on a last-second field goal by Roberto Aguayo. In fact, this game shouldn’t have been as close as it was as Aguayo missed two other opportunities earlier in the game.
The Bucs converted 6-of-15 third downs, keeping the offense on the field. This was especially important in the second half when the Bucs were able to keep Anderson off of the field and whittle down the clock until their final moments. The Bucs held onto the ball for nearly 10 minutes longer than the Panthers, limiting any options for them to take over the game in the second half.
Carolina also struggled to force turnovers, which has been one of their strengths in recent years. Defensively, this wasn’t a horrible game by the Panthers, but they were unable to create the opportunities needed to give the offense as many chances as they needed to secure the come from behind win.
Sep 8, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Carolina Panthers kicker Graham Gano (9) misses a fifty yard field goal attempt as punter Andy Lee (8) holds in the fourth quarter against the Denver Broncos at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. The Broncos defeated the Panthers 21-20. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
Special Teams Grade: D-
At some point, Graham Gano will become a concern for Panthers fans and players alike. He missed another field goal during the loss to the Bucs, making this the third game this season in which he’s missed. Gano was once the epitome of consistency for this team and a major reason why they were able to put up points, even if the offense faltered.
Since joining the Panthers in 2012 he’s rarely missed multiple times in a single season. But 2016 has been a disappointment so far. It will be interesting to see if this becomes a point worth addressing and how long into the season the team will wait before said addressing begins.
Ted Ginn Jr. once again handled the return game and his three attempts were very standard. He earned six yards on two punt returns and 21 yards on his one kickoff return. Andy Lee had another strong day as the punter as he averaged 44.3 yards on four punt attempts.
The real story to watch is whether or not Gano returns to form because the Panthers need some option on the field that can be a steady output for points because right now, the offense doesn’t have too many options.
Oct 10, 2016; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers head coach Ron Rivera argues a call in the fourth quarter against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Bank of America Stadium. The Buccaneers won 17-14. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports
Overall Play Grade: D
On paper, this was a game that the Panthers were expected to win. As an organization, the Bucs have struggled to find their place in the NFC South the last few years and the Panthers, regardless of slow start, were expected to be a league powerhouse. Instead, the Panthers are falling to a point where the question becomes whether or not they will even make the postseason.
There’s plenty of time for this team to right the ship, but with every game played there’s more and more concerns rose about the group. The running game was solid during this outing, but every other facet of play reviewed could use some improvement heading into the next game against the New Orleans Saints. Injuries aren’t the only problem as it seems as if the unit is dealing with a level of inconsistency that’s not allowing the team to play up to expectations.
When the Panthers played the San Francisco 49ers, they performed in a way that was considered at “full power” for this team. Since that point they have not been able to get back to that level of play. When the offense has sputtered, this team falls short. This game was yet another example where there’s been plenty during this season.