Post game slant routes: Panthers can't cash in
Panthers offense couldn't take advantage of extra possessions while one penalty sucked the life out of the stadium.
I was in attendance for the Carolina Panthers tilt against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.
The atmosphere was electric early. But, the Panthers pulled the plug on themselves the entire day.
Here are some observations from the game.
The Seahawks are one of the best tackling teams I’ve seen this season, if not the best. Their defenders did not allow yards after the catch in one-on-one situations. The Panthers made life difficult for themselves often, but the Seahawks had a lot to do with their troubles.
The Panthers defense forced two turnovers and the offense only scored three points off Seattle’s mistakes. That isn’t going to get it done against a premier team.
Trailing 17-10 and with Seattle facing a 3rd and 21, Jaycee Horn committed one of the most egregious face mask penalties I’ve ever seen. The Seahawks threw a quick out to Jaxson Smith-Njigba on the sideline to gain a few yards and Horn for some reason decided to try and make a tackle as opposed to pushing Smith-Njigba out of bounds. The Seahawks got an automatic first down and ended up scoring a field goal on the drive while taking an additional four minutes and change off the clock. That penalty legitimately sucked the energy out of the stadium.
Horn has been good this year, but his errors in both losses to the Saints and Seahawks were cataclysmic.
This loss isn’t on one individual. The Panthers offense stunk up the joint for most of the day.
Bryce Young had 54 yards passing for an entire game - 40 if you subtract the 14 yards lost on sacks.
The Panthers didn’t really attempt to push the ball down the field. Perhaps Tetairoa McMillan’s illness really limited his effectiveness. Still, the offense today was unimaginative and uninspiring.
The bottom line is that the Panthers still have a chance to win the division against Tampa Bay next week. Given where this organization was at two years ago, it’s a marked improvement. They still have a long way to go but the trajectory is moving up as opposed to being buried by The Undertaker.
Stay off social media while watching games. Enjoy them. Don’t let the opinions of others impact your experience.