Carolina Panthers: 7 Players Who Performed Best in Week 1 vs. the Cardinals

The Carolina Panthers may have lost to the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, but that doesn't take away from the performance they turned in. It was an exciting effort from the Panthers, something that couldn't be said about the team all of last year.

Cam Newton was fantastic and looks like the real deal. How well he handled his first career start was truly amazing. His poise and pocket presence were spectacular, and the erratic throws that were present in the preseason were nowhere to be found against Arizona.

Despite the headlines, Newton wasn't the only Panther to perform well. There were plenty of other contributors throughout the game that played a key factor. 

Let's take a look at the seven best Panthers against Arizona.

No. 7: Jeremy Shockey

Stat Line: 3 REC, 51 YDS

Shockey made his Panther debut on Sunday and it went smoothly. It wasn't a head-turning performance by any means, but Shockey was solid throughout the afternoon. Newton only targeted Shockey three times and he brought down all three.

With Greg Olsen on board, look for Shockey to play second fiddle at the tight end position. Olsen is younger and, at this point in his career, better.

That doesn't mean Shockey won't play a major role. Expect both players to be on the field together often because of their ability to catch the football. 

A nice performance from Shockey, but you can expect that he will have better ones throughout the year.

No. 6: Greg Olsen

Stat line: 4 REC, 78 YDS

Olsen could have been even higher on the list had he not dropped a ball or if he had been able to get both feet in the end zone at the end of the game. Regardless, the Panthers have to be excited about their new tight end whom they acquired from Chicago this offseason. 

There's no doubting that Olsen will play a huge roll in the offense this season for Carolina. And if Newton keeps throwing the ball around the way he was Sunday, Olsen will be one of the many beneficiaries. 

It's hard not to root for Olsen either. He plays the game hard, is a humble guy and a phenomenal athlete. It was a fine debut that met expectations and Olsen should be a big factor this season.

No. 5: Brandon LaFell

Stat line: 4 REC, 70 YDS

This is a great sign for the Panthers going forward. They need a receiver to step up and LaFell made some big catches on Sunday. Steve Smith stole the show receiving wise, but LaFell helped by getting open and moving the chains.

With David Gettis (a promising young player who looked better than LaFell last year) out for the season, it was important for the former LSU receiver to get off to a good start. And he did just that.

Olsen and Shockey give Carolina two good receiving tight end options, but this offense will be scary if LaFell can continue to get open and prove that Sunday's performance wasn't just a blip on the radar. A big test awaits the Panthers this upcoming weekend against the Green Bay Packers.

Smith, along with the two tight ends, is going to draw a lot of attention and it will be important for LaFell to come up big in Carolina's next game.

No. 4: Thomas Davis

Stat line: 7 tackles, 4 solo, 1 fumble recovery

It was great to see Davis out on the field Sunday. After consecutive years in which he tore his ACL, the talented linebacker made his presence known against Arizona. Davis provided a hard hit, a vital fumble recovery and, most importantly, leadership.

With Jon Beason looking like he's going to miss the rest of the season with a torn Achilles, it will be up to Davis to pick up the slack. That's a lot of pressure to put on a guy who is trying to come back from an injury himself, but Davis has the personality to step in and do it right away.

The linebacking corps was one of Carolina's strengths heading into the season, and it still is, just not nearly as strong without Beason in the lineup. It looks like the Beason/Davis combo will have to be put on hold until next season for the Panthers.

No. 3: Charles Johnson

Stat line: 4 tackles, all solo, 1 sack

Big Money, aka Charles Johnson, proved his worth against the Cardinals. After signing a monster deal this offseason, Johnson came out and showed why the Panthers invested in him. Johnson was a disruptive force at times and he had a chance to turn the game around with an interception, but failed to do so.

That missed chance will likely haunt Johnson when he sees it on film. On the play, Johnson dropped back into coverage and as Kevin Kolb rolled out toward the sideline and threw under duress, the ball went right through Johnson's hands.

If cornerbacks are known for having bad hands what does that mean for defensive ends? 

Regardless of what position was in coverage, the play should have been made, and resulted in a missed opportunity for the Panthers. There's no time for Johnson and the Panthers to lament on this play though, as the must begin looking toward week 2 and the Green Bay Packers.

No. 2: Steve Smith

Stat line: 8 REC, 178 YDs, 2 TDS

Welcome back, Steve Smith. After a year in which Smith was catching passes from Matt Moore, Jimmy Clausen, Tony Pike and Brian St. Pierre, he finally got a chance to have a talented quarterback throw him the ball, and it sure paid off.

The Newton-Smith connection was dynamic throughout the afternoon and it's clear that No. 89 is rejuvenated. Can you blame him? 

Last year was so awful that Smith asked for a trade after the season had ended. Eventually, Smith had a change of heart and I'm guessing a big part of that had to do with the affect Newton has had on him.

Newton has an infectious personality where it's hard to not gravitate towards the guy. It's quite clear that Smith is fond of the young quarterback and the two will hope to continue what they did on Sunday for the rest of the season.

No.1: Cam Newton

Stat line: 24/37, 422 YDS, 3 TDs (one rush), 1 INT

Talk about a performance for the ages, and by a rookie at that. Newton looked like a completely different player against the Cardinals than he did during the preseason. There was rarely any confusion and almost no erratic throws.

The No. 1 overall pick was surgeon-like with the way he carved up the Cardinals' secondary. It was a joy to watch Newton perform so well despite his many critics.

There's something special about Newton and the Panthers obviously knew it. The kid is an absolute gamer. The way he stepped up his performance from practices and preseason to an actual game was remarkable. Some players are just better on game days than they are in practice, and it appears that Newton is one of those.

The Panthers came up short in the game, but they have found their quarterback of the future in Newton. 

Honorable Mention: Chris Gamble

The only stat line that matters when talking about Gamble's performance against the Cardinals is Larry Fitzgerald's. Fitzgerald finished with three catches for 62 yards and was held in check for most of the afternoon. 

The reason why Gamble didn't crack the list is because he had help on the majority of the snaps. This helped limit Fitzgerald, but it definitely opened the field for other receivers to make plays.

Gamble also got beat on a big third down late in the game in press coverage. Fitzgerald knew Gamble was going to take away the slant route to prevent an easy first down, so he simply went around him and beat Gamble for a big gain.

Still, Gamble deserves credit for playing a solid game and helping keep Fitzgerald from going off.