5 Things We Learned in Panthers 28-13 Win over Texans

In a day marred with upsets, the Panthers took down the 10-3 Houston Texans to move out of a tie with the Bucs for third place in the division. 

Carolina took it to the Texans early and jumped out to a 21-point lead in the first half. Playing a mistake free game, the Panthers' offense was balanced all day and allowed the defense to make the big plays when needed. 

The Carolina linebackers forced three turnovers, and there is a trend that is becoming very telling for this team now. They are undefeated when Cam Newton does not turn the ball over and 0-9 when he does—a stat to focus on in the offseason. 

Cam in the Clutch

The Panthers' second half woes have played a huge part in their losing record this season, but on this Sunday, they broke the trend. 

With Houston mounting a comeback in the fourth quarter, Newton rallied his troops and led them on a game-sealing drive. A key third down pass to Legedu Naanee and great play fake put the Texans' defense on its heels. 

Later in the fourth quarter, Newton used his legs to capitalize on the only two third down situations of the drive. Finally, Newton has proved he can perform when the pressure is on, even when facing the top ranked defense in the NFL. 

Smith Goes Deep

Steve Smith already led the NFL with 25 plays of 20-plus yards on the season, and he continued on his pace with two more deep catches against one of the most feared secondaries in football. 

Talented cornerback Johnathan Joseph was lined up on Smith all day, but Smith got the better of the matchup. He set the tone with a 26-yard touchdown grab on the Panthers' first drive of the game and continued his success with a few more key grabs on the day. 

Smith will turn 33 in May, but he shows no signs of age. He is playing smarter than ever and doesn't look to have lost any burst in his step. 

Williams Breaks off Another One

DeAngelo Williams has been the Panthers' most explosive runner this season and used another long run to seal the Texans fate. 

After Cam Newton drove the offense to the Houston 24-yard line, Williams made one cut and slashed through the defense for a touchdown to put Carolina up by two touchdowns. 

Stewart also had a solid day, picking up the tough yardage to extend the Panthers' final drive of the game. Williams finished the game with 61 yards, and Stewart totaled 43. 

Where's the Pressure?

The Panthers' pass rush was absent on Sunday. While the two sacks they picked up won't look too poor in the box score, those were also the only two hits on the quarterback that the Panthers had all day. 

Charles Johnson was being manhandled before leaving with an injury, and it seemed that not one blitz was timed well. The Texans' rookie quarterback, TJ Yates, had plenty of time to find crossing routes and make life difficult on Carolina's defensive backs. 

Gamble Shines

The Panthers weren't facing a very dangerous Texans passing offense, but without the play of Gamble, this game might have ended differently. 

Gamble played a heady game and it seems as if he's playing more instinctively than I've ever seen him as a Panther. He stepped up and delivered some rare big hits while also playing shutdown coverage. He's a guy you can see remaining in Carolina for the remainder of his career.