The Carolina Panthers topped the Detroit Lions in Week 5, remaining perfect on the road for the 2017 season, which is a good sign for things to come.
For the second week in a row, the Carolina Panthers were on the road against a team with a powerful offense in Week 5. And for the second consecutive week, the Panthers walked out of that stadium with a victory — albeit a close one. Carolina continues to build momentum and confidence after a rocky start to the 2017 season. This is happening due to consistent play on both sides of the ball at a time when the organization needed it most.
Quarterback Cam Newton found himself at the center of controversy this week for his response to Jourdan Rodrigue during a question and answer session. That situation cost Newton a sponsorship and left him the target of a lot of criticism, but didn’t take away from him putting together a big game on Sunday.
Newton completed 26-of-33 passes for 355 yards and three touchdowns. He ended the day with a 141.8 QB Rating and a QBR of 87.5. Perhaps the most important stat on that line is the big zero in the interceptions column. It’s the second time this season he’s made it through the game without any turnovers, an area where he’s struggled not only to start this year, but at other points throughout his career. Seeing such a strong performance from Newton helps build confidence that he’s not suffering from some sort of rust that’s hindered him since last year.
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Newton continued to spread the wealth in the passing game. Six different players caught a pass this game. Ed Dickson had a breakout performance with 175 yards on five catches. Kelvin Benjamin and Devin Funchess once again performed like the 1-2 punch they were expected to be. The duo earned 58 and 53 yards, respectively, and each had a touchdown to their name.
It was important for the passing game to have such a big day as the same couldn’t be said for the rushing core. Carolina was held to just 28 yards on the ground, one of their lowest outputs in recent memory. The offensive line continues to be a question mark for this team as they were unable to have an impact on the run game and allowed Newton to be sacked three times. Carolina needs to address this issue sometime in the near future for both Newton’s health and getting back to the pillar of their play style.
Defensively, the Panthers struggled once again to close out a game. Coming into the fourth quarter the team had a 27-10 lead over the Lions. Detroit then scored 14 unanswered points in the fourth to bring things closer. The New England Patriots also came from behind to make last week’s game close after Carolina’s offense did a good job of securing a lead. Even though the Panthers ended the game with a victory, the team cannot continue to struggle with comebacks late in the game.
Next: 2017 NFL Power Rankings: Week 6
The Panthers their record to 4-1 to continue their strong start to the season. While many experts and fans hesitate to get behind the team, seeing them play well while on the road against two of the better teams in the league goes a long way.