Carolina Panthers: Special teams, defense lead the way in trap game
The Carolina Panthers avoided a close ‘trap game’ against the New York Jets thanks to key plays by the special teams and defense.
With another high scoring affair the Carolina Panthers pushed their record to 8-3 which includes a four-game win streak. It wasn’t just the offense that got the job done, but the defense and special teams helped create the 35-27 victory over the New York Jets, giving the Panthers one of their best examples of playing a complete game.
Offensively, there isn’t much to talk about for the Panthers as they looked much like the team many expect. Newton did have a productive game, as he completed 11 of 28 passes for 154 yards with no touchdowns. But he also didn’t make any critical mistakes as he did not throw an interception during this outing. Devin Funchess continued to emerge as Newton’s favorite target, even with Greg Olsen’s return to the field. Olsen would leave the game with another foot injury. Newton was sacked three times for 14 yards, which is the first multiple-sack game for Newton in more than a month.
From a rushing standpoint, the Panthers continued to improve their overall output. The team attempted 33 total attempts for 145 yards on the ground and two touchdowns. Christian McCaffrey led the unit with 62 yards. It would be Newton and Jonathan Stewart who earned the two rushing touchdowns to go along with their 28 and 26 rushing yards respectively. This is the fifth consecutive game in which the Panthers earned 100 yards on the ground.
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Defense and special teams were the standout areas for the Panthers performance on Sunday. In back-to-back scenarios it would be the defense and special teams coming up with big plays that quickly put a halt to the brewing momentum that the Jets were putting together.
The first came via a Luke Kuechly fumble return for a touchdown. He scooped up a Josh McCown fumble and went 34 yards for the six points. Newton completed the two-point conversion which pushed the score to 26-20. The Panthers held the Jets to complete only five of their 14 third-down attempts, but none would be more costly than the one that occurred on the very next possession. Kaelin Clay would take the punt 60-yards for the score. The 14-point swing helped quell the Jets who were looking to come from behind and were putting together some success until that point.
Across the board this was a strong performance by the Panthers who are quietly building a season that is exceeding what many predicted for the Charlotte-based organization. Carolina’s offense continues to perform well and protect the ball, but it was the defense through key takeaways and a big special teams play to push this game beyond the Jets.
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This is a key victory for the Panthers who remain in second position behind the New Orleans Saints, which is where they are traveling next week. The Saints defeated the Panthers in Charlotte earlier this season, making next week’s game a must-win for the Panthers if they are looking to secure the top position in the conference. This game against the struggling Jets had all the makings of a trap game, but the Panthers pulled through with some strong play in unexpected areas.