Carolina Panthers vs. Baltimore Ravens: Complete Report-Card Grades for Carolina
Different week, same result. The Carolina Panthers were humiliated by a far more effective and impressive Baltimore team that was led by former Panther Steve Smith. Carolina's old fiery receiver turned in an impressive game with seven receptions for 139 yards and two touchdowns. The Carolina defense did not have an answer for him and he took advantage of the situation.
Not to be outdone, Smith's teammates played a solid game, with Joe Flacco picking apart the secondary and the Baltimore running game owning the Panthers defense.
Carolina saw its offensive line get dominated again and Cam Newton take some more hard hits. For the second week in a row, he was replaced late in the game. DeAngelo Williams left the game early due to injury and the lack of depth at the position showed.
The next 10 slides will breakdown each positional unit and how they measured up in Week 4. Unfortunately, the grades won't be much of an improvement from last week.
Quarterback
1 of 10
Once again, Cam Newton was victimized by his offensive line. Once again, not having a solid running game hindered him in moving the offense.
Newton completed 14-of-25 passes for 197 yards and a score. He didn't turn the ball over, but he seemed hesitant to channel the mobile quarterback that made him stand out early in his career.
Granted, much of that could be due to his ankle surgery and rib injury, but without sufficient talent around him, the Carolina offense can't do much of anything if Newton can't be his old self. The Baltimore defense keyed in on him throughout the game and he was sacked twice. Unfortunately, he was hit far more than that.
Newton carried the ball only twice for just seven yards. It's frustrating for fans to see a quarterback who thrives using both his feet and arm be limited by injury.
Backup QB Derek Anderson came on late in the game and continued to play well enough to movie the chains. After one start and two cameo appearances, Anderson getting the nod as the starter while Newton fully recovers might be the best course of action for the Panthers to take in the coming weeks.
It's unlikely to happen, but if things continue to go downhill for Carolina, it should be a consideration.
Grade: C+
Running Backs
2 of 10
DeAngelo Williams started the game, but he would not finish it. After carrying the ball 11 times and gaining 34 yards, the veteran back came up limping after rushing for a first down and missed the rest of the game.
That didn't do a team with a depleted running back unit any favors.
Darrin Reaves and Tauren Poole handled the running back duties for the remainder of the game. Reaves ran the ball 12 times for 26 yards and perhaps was unable to get anything going behind an offensive line that looked sluggish most of the game. Poole had only one carry and fumbled the ball, though it appeared that forward progress was stopped when the ball came out. The officials ruled the ball did come out, which resulted in a Baltimore recovery.
Carolina needs its running backs to get healthy, as the offense cannot rely on the passing game to carry the load. The lack of an effective ground game makes the Panthers' quarterback a big target for opposing defenses.
Panther running backs may have received more carries this week (26), but their average per carry of 2.6 yards is certainly not the result the organization wants.
Grade: C-
Wide Receivers and Tight Ends
3 of 10
The Panthers receiver corps was outplayed by Steve Smith, but the return of Jerricho Cotchery and the continuing growth of Kelvin Benjamin yet again served as a bright spot for the Panthers in Week 4.
Cotchery and Benjamin led the team in receiving with the former catching five passes for 80 yards. Benjamin had just as many receptions for 76 yards and a score. He was close to another one on two separate occasions, but his right foot was on the sideline when he caught a pass in the end zone, and he was stopped short in the closing seconds of the game after a completed pass from Derek Anderson.
Philly Brown, Jason Avant and Brenton Bersin played well in support, as the trio combined for five catches and 71 yards. It was nice to see Brown have another good game, and he could have a promising career in Carolina as a second or third receiver.
Greg Olsen had a down game compared to his performances over the first three weeks. He had two only receptions for 30 yards, though he was targeted only five times.
Overall, though, the Carolina receivers did a good job in an otherwise awful game.
Grade: B
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Offensive Line
4 of 10
It's hard to pinpoint the underlying problem, but this unit is terrible.
The line allowed Cam Newton to be constantly pressured, and it failed to open holes and help the running backs get a head of steam. One thing is for certain, they have not been able to win the battle in the trenches, and that alone is what is killing the offense's chances at scoring consistently.
After one month into the season, it may be time for the scouting department to focus on finding talent to rebuild the offensive line. Byron Bell hasn't played well the past two games, and the interior has been getting worked.
A team that cannot run the ball or provide adequate time for its quarterback to find receivers can't expect to compete in too many games, especially with a less-than-stellar defense not keeping the game close.
Grade: D
Defensive Line
5 of 10
The strength of the Carolina Panthers has become a liability in the last two weeks.
The Carolina defense gave up 127 yards on the ground and the first line of defense is...the line. It was disheartening to see a poor performance for a second straight week, and if the Ravens were taking notes from last week's prime-time game, they appeared more than ready for the final test.
Carolina's front four could not record a sack and it had only some isolated moments where it made a play in the Baltimore's backfield. Dwan Edwards and Colin Cole each were credited with a tackle for loss. However, Charles Johnson was ineffective and could not get much penetration or pressure.
The Panthers will need to address their issues on this unit because opponents have been running at will the past couple of weeks. There are plenty of issues on the other side of the ball without the D-line adding to the coaching staff's list of things to fix.
Grade: D
Linebackers
6 of 10
You can't help but feel bad for Luke Kuechly. For the second week in a row, the former Pro Bowl linebacker missed an opportunity to pick off a pass and shift the momentum of the game.
Instead, he couldn't corral the pass, which landed incomplete. Despite missing the big play, Kuechly had another strong game with 12 tackles, a tackle for loss and a defensed pass.
Normally, Thomas Davis is not far behind in the defensive stats category, but Kuechly's running mate missed this game due to injury. A.J. Klein and Chase Blackburn filled in for him, but based on the horrible performance of the defense, it's unlikely Davis would have made much of a difference. Blackburn was able to get a hit on Joe Flacco but otherwise didn't have much of an impact.
One has to take into account that the linebackers are being counted on to help stop the run, and based on the game the Baltimore running backs had, they failed in doing that. Still, the group's performance was slightly better than that of the defensive line.
Grade: C-
Secondary
7 of 10
Baltimore's first play on offense was a completion to Steve Smith, who promptly stiff-armed Roman Harper after securing the catch for a big gain. He might as well have stiff-armed the entire Carolina secondary.
The Panthers did not have an answer for their former teammate and his new support cast. While Torrey Smith and the rest of the Baltimore receiver corps made its own contributions en route to victory, the day belonged to No. 89 as he had his best game of the young season.
Melvin White and Antoine Cason were both flagged for pass interference, with Steve Smith still making the catch on White's infraction for a touchdown. Needless to say, it was that kind of day for the Carolina secondary.
Harper and Thomas DeCoud led the unit with seven tackles each, but in the end, the defensive backs failed because they let an aging receiver get the best of them. When the dust settled, Smith had the last laugh.
Grade: F
Special Teams
8 of 10
There weren't too many opportunities in this department. Graham Gano connected on his only field-goal attempt of the day. Brad Nortman saw the most action as he punted four times and averaged 48.5 yards per punt. It would have been a better day had Gano seen more opportunities on the field than Nortman, but a one-sided game in which your team is on the short end of the rout will keep that from happening.
Philly Brown had only one kick return that he took out for 23 yards. All of the others were touchbacks.
It was good that there was no muffed punts or mishaps on special teams this week. Aside from the receiver corps, special teams gets by without getting a bad grade.
Grade: B
Coaching
9 of 10
A second defeat that was demoralizing for the Panthers and the worst of Ron Rivera's career as Carolina's head coach. The last two weeks have not happened before in the previous three seasons, and it makes a person wonder what is going on with the team.
Offensively, it is hard to fault the play-calling of Mike Shula, as he's had to make due with the hand that was dealt him. Sadly, that means trying to move the football without much of a running game. His colleague on the other side of the ball has another set of problems.
Defensive coordinator Sean McDermott has seen his guys give up 72 points in two weeks. A lot of work needs to be done and if the defense continues to struggle, it will be a long season in Charlotte.
Grade: D
Final Grade
10 of 10
Quarterback: C+
Running Backs: C-
Wide Receivers and Tight Ends: B
Offensive Line: D
Defensive Line: D
Linebackers: C-
Secondary: F
Special Teams: B
Coaching: D
Final Grade: D+
The schedule for the Panthers does not get any easier, and with some big games coming up, now is the wrong time for a meltdown. Carolina finished the September with its best record since Rivera took over as head coach.
However, that will be a moot point if the Panthers cannot get back on track.
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