Carolina Panthers Week 7 Report Card: Giving a Pass or Fail to Every Unit

Cam Newton was the star performer for the Panthers in this one and it resulted in the team's second win of the season. 

The Panthers once again struggled to capitalize in the red zone, but Newton was able to compensate, scoring a touchdown through the air and on the ground, en route to a 13 point victory over Washington. 

It must be a relief for Newton, who was clearly growing discontent while the losses piled up on Carolina. He took it upon himself to get this team back on the right track and bounced back from a sub-par performance against the Falcons to a spectacular showing in Charlotte against the Redskins. 

However, not every victory is perfect and there were some sorry performances by some of the Panthers' defensive units. Read on to find out just which units played well enough to earn a pass for the week and which earned themselves a failing grade. 

Quarterback

PASS

Cam Newton was nothing less than magnificent on Sunday. He made some of the most beautiful passes I've seen to this point in the season and really cemented what many already know—he's a special player. 

His connection with Steve Smith remained strong and he was dead on with his vertical passes to the speedy receiver. He spread the ball around to five other Panthers, as well. 

He was no one trick pony though. Newton began the game with a 25-yard run for the highlight reel. He left multiple defenders in a daze and did the smart thing in getting out of bounds before taking a hit. He ended the day with 59 yards on 10 carries. 

Running Backs

PASS

Carolina did not spend a significant amount of effort on playing ground and pound football, but their running backs were efficient when the team did go to the ground. Jonathan Stewart broke off a 29-yard run to move the Panthers away from their own end zone and Jerome Felton was able to pick up a few first downs on third and short. 

The aforementioned Stewart and fellow back DeAngelo Williams did a solid job of taking what was given to them and getting up field, setting the Panthers up with manageable third down situations. 

Eventually, Stewart and Williams will have their breakout games, but with how well Cam Newton is throwing the ball, the run game is simply a very nice compliment to the aerial attack right now. 

Receivers / Tight Ends

PASS

Receiver Steve Smith showed no signs of aging after reeling in nearly 150 yards receiving on seven receptions. His resurgence as one of the NFL's elite play-makers has been impressive to watch. 

Jeremy Shockey also had another solid performance and was able to extend a few drives with his reliable hands. Greg Olsen wasn't in the limelight this time, but he's quietly done a solid job of blocking for Carolina. He was known as a super talented, receiver-first tight end, but he is shedding that label and becoming a more balanced player. 

Brandon LaFell also played well enough to prevent double coverage's on Steve Smith. LaFell is presenting himself as a solid deep threat and once David Gettis returns next season, it will be easy to expect great things out of the young duo of receivers. 

Offensive Line

FAIL

This unit fails by a very slight margin. There are a few big reasons why I believe they did fail in this game. 

First off, they did give up four sacks to the Redskins defense. A couple were the result of miscommunication, but that needs to be eliminated and Byron Bell needs to be more consistent. Every play in which he makes a mental mistake will be another play where fans miss the talented tackle Jeff Otah. 

The penalties were another reason for the failing grade for the offensive line. Numerous holding calls and false starts pushed the Panthers back and gave head coach Ron Rivera some room for concern. The team ended up with over 100 yards of penalties by the time the final whistle blew. 

Defensive Line

PASS

Tim Hightower ran on the Panthers at will early on, but some second half adjustments really shut down the Washington run game. 

The Panthers have been very prone to allowing big holes to open and giving up long runs to opposing running backs, but the Redskins' longest run was 17 yardswhich isn't half bad when you consider how poorly they have played in previous weeks. 

Greg Hardy and Charles Johnson put some solid pressure on John Beck and were it not for some desperate throws by Beck, Hardy likely would have ended the game with a sack or two. 

Linebackers

FAIL

James Anderson was all over the place and has really established himself as a ball hawking linebacker. He added a sack on Sunday, but was the lone bright spot for this unit. 

Dan Connor has not shown much in lateral pursuit and simply seems lacking in athleticism, especially considering that he's replacing a very athletic player in Jon Beason. His ability in coverage can be described as limited as best. 

Jason Phillips proved to me that he is not yet an NFL caliber linebacker. He does not make quick, decisive reads and did not look swift as a run stuffer. 

Secondary

PASS

It's difficult to put much of the blame on the secondary for John Beck's moderately successful performance. Although Charles Godfrey was burnt by Fred Davis on occasion for a first down toss, Chris Gamble and company kept the Redskins receivers contained and only allowed one pass of more than 25 yards. 

The secondary tightened up when defending their end zone and forced two field goals on Washington's part. Gamble's fourth quarter interception put the final touches on the game and gave this secondary a passing grade for their performance. 

Special Teams

PASS

I only need to point out one statistic: Olindo Mare was 4/4 on field goals including a 45 yarder. He finished the game with 15 points. He took care of what he needed to, but the Panthers' offense needs to capitalize on their red zone opportunities.