Carolina Panthers attempt to keep offensive pace in NFC South

The Carolina Panthers offense performed extremely well against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and looked like it belonged with their NFC South competition.

In Week 9, the Carolina Panthers put their offensive might on display against the equally dangerous Tampa Bay Buccaneers. What resulted was a combined 70-point outing that saw the Panthers defeat the Bucs, 42-28.

Across the board, this was a showcase that displayed just how strong the Panthers offense can be when they are clicking on all cylinders. This is a key win for the Panthers in what is shaping up to be a very tough NFC South division.

The Panthers were the model of efficiency on Sunday. In 59 plays, they earned 407 yards and 22 first downs. This breaks down to 6.89 yards per play, the highest at this point in the season, but also part of a trend of an uptick in yards per play. This is especially important in the NFC South where each of the four teams has a strong offense that can put up points quickly and consistently.

As it stands currently, the Panthers are on the outside looking in when it comes to offensive production within the NFC South. Atlanta, Tampa Bay and New Orleans are each ranked within the top 10 of the NFL when it comes to points per game and yards per game.

Carolina is tied for 11th in points per game with 27.5 and in the 13th slot for yards per game with 371. They are the only team of the group that are not averaging at least 400 yards per game at the midway point of the year.

Still, this version of the Panthers that came to play on Sunday can keep up with their NFC South colleagues and any other powerful offense in the league. Cam Newton continued the play that has some considering him an early candidate for his second NFL MVP. He completed 76 percent of his passes (the best yet this season) for 247 yards and two touchdowns.

The diversity in the passing attack continued as Christian McCaffrey led all passers with five receptions for 78 yards, followed closely by Greg Olsen who had six catches for 76 yards. Whether it’s McCaffrey, Olsen, Devin Funchess, Curtis Samuel or D.J. Moore, the Panthers offer a nice mix of receivers who can have a strong outing at nearly any moment.

The rushing game continued their ways with 179 yards and four touchdowns on the ground. While McCaffrey, Newton and C.J. Anderson are enough to worry about, the speed offered by Moore and Samuels is a perfect change of pace to fit this offense. They each had one rushing play a piece for 32 and 33 yards, respectively.

When a team has a strong rushing attack such as the Panthers, their ability to mix up their plays keeps defenses on the back pedal, just like we’ve seen the last few outings this season.

At 6-2, the Carolina Panthers are looking like a real threat to take the NFC South this year. This is the NFC division to watch as all the four teams are playing with high-octane offenses. If the Panthers can continue to keep pace with the other three teams they are well on their way to their first back-to-back seasons above .500 and making it to the postseason in consecutive years.