The NFL is truly a week-to-week league. One week you are dominating a divisional rival in a shutout. The next week you are getting ransacked, outplayed, outclassed and only stopped a 42-0 run in garbage time.
Shameful on all levels.
Patriots’ CB/PR Marcus Jones dissected the Panthers’ special teams for 148 return yards and a touchdown. Jones’ 87-yard scoring punt return ignited the Patriots’ offense.
Drake Maye effortlessly carved up the Panthers’ defense – completing 82% of his passes for 203 yards and two touchdowns.
Here are more observations from Carolina’s embarrassing 42-13 loss.
Out Of Reach
Bryce Young threw for 150 yards, completed 18 of his 32 passes and scored a touchdown on the Panthers’ opening drive. However, there were missed opportunities that might have made an impact on the game.
For Young, he missed open receivers. On one drive he had Tetairoa McMillan open on what would have been the rookie’s first touchdown reception. It also seemed as if he was pressing to get the ball to McMillan instead of assessing the options around him.
The play calling left much to be desired. The drive that culminated in a Ryan Fitzgerald missed field goal is one of the biggest examples. On this particular drive Canales chose to run on third and long. A first down would have been great, but at least put yourself in a better position to get points. Canales’ capitulation on third down is indicative of some apprehension in letting Young take chances downfield
Granted, Young struggles with the deep ball. For all of his success in short-yardage situations he struggles throwing downfield. According to NFL Next Gen Stats, Young has the second-lowest completion percentage (32.4%) on passes over 10 air yards, while failing to throw a touchdown and recording two interceptions on such attempts. The opportunity is there to improve and there should be room to at least try.
It is that same conservatism in the playcalling that contributed to the game snowballing out of control to the point where Canales ended up pulling Young and the starters with a little over six minutes remaining in the game.
Clamped
Christian Gonzalez made his season debut in Week 4 after missing most of training camp and the first three games. Gonzalez was solid in his return, holding McMillan to one catch for 12 yards while defending him.
The Patriots’ defense, despite allowing more yards than the Panthers, made the necessary plays to keep Carolina from scoring. They threw Carolina’s front seven around and pressured Young into making errant throws, and almost forced a couple of interceptions.
Accountability In Word
After the game Coach Canales took responsibility for his team’s performance.
“When it’s a full team effort like this, I have to put that on myself,” he said. “I have to look at how I’m preparing the team, how we’re going about our work. I have to look at that and compete to find an edge to get these guys to work together and to focus. So we can get the execution that we’re seeing happen in our process.”
While Canales believes that the players’ effort is there, the players themselves think otherwise.
“He (Canales) can’t go out there and play,” Jaycee Horn said. “We got to come ready to play, and we weren’t. Offense wasn’t ready. Defense wasn’t ready. Special teams weren’t ready. As a team, we looked unprepared, and we’re following him. But you can’t wake everybody up on Sunday morning and have them ready to play. We looked prepared in practice, but that doesn’t mean you are going to play well on Sunday. You’ve got to show up and do it.”
“It’s on us,” Young said. “It’s on me. It’s on everybody in that locker room. We all take accountability.”
After a loss like this, claiming accountability is an expected response in words. It has to translate into deeds on Sundays.
A Massacre In Foxboro: Panthers Lose In A Rout Vs Patriots