Carolina Panthers Week 4: Hit Stick

by connorrice26 | 5 years ago | 0 Comments

In a highly strange game in Houston involving four forced fumbles by the Panthers defense, extreme momentum swings for both sides and an unusually conservative passing game by local pariah Cam Newton, the Panthers managed to eke it out 28-25 on a last-second FG. The name of the game for both teams this week was missed opportunities, with the Texans turning the ball over 5x including a fumble with less than 2 min to go in FG range and the Panthers frequently stalling out in the redzone and leaving points on the table. Coach Bernie Sanders V was elated about the crucial victory to get back up to .500 on the season, but recognized that the Panthers simply have to do better to compete in a brutal division with the 3-0 Bucs and the 3-0-1 Falcons. "Was our running game trash? Yes. Did our offense get too vanilla and conservative in the second half? Absolutely. Did the gods bless us with a series of lucky fumbles? No comment. But most importantly, did we come away from NRG Stadium with a much-needed victory? :happybear:"

CAROLINA OFFENSIVE MVP: CAM NEWTON (QB)

While Newton's statline was far from mindboggling, with only 138 yds and a passing and rushing TD, he calmly and methodically marched the Carolina offense down the field on a day when CMC was struggling to get going and had a near-perfect first half in all facets. The offensive scheme is not centered around Cam by any stretch, but he put the team on his back when all else failed and put in a solid performance.

HOUSTON OFFENSIVE MVP: LAMAR MILLER (HB)

By far the most explosive player on either team, Miller put up chunk play after chunk play with 114 rushing yds and 125 rec yds, leading both teams in both categories. Exposing a Panthers rush defense that has disappointed thus far, Miller gashed Carolina with a 85-yd TD off of a dive play early in the 2nd half that marked the point where all of the momentum swung Houston's way, and he broke ankles throughout the game. Though Deandre Hopkins had an uncharacteristically quiet game, with only 3 REC and 24 yds, Miller provided enough offensive firepower to make up for his lack of production.

CAROLINA DEFENSIVE MVP: TRE BOSTON (FS)

Forced and recovered 2 fumbles. Got an INT. Got the only sack of the game for the Carolina defense. Led the team in tackles. What more can he do? What more does he have to prove to this organization? Boston may not have the most electrifying attributes in the world, but he has all of the heart you could ever ask for, and proved it to his team again with this stellar performance. Tre Boston earned the game ball and showed Coach Sanders that he is more than deserving of the contract extension he's asking for.

HOUSTON DEFENSIVE MVP: BENARDRICK MCKINNEY (MLB)

I give this award to McKinney not for his statline, but for his ability to near-singlehandedly shut down the Carolina running game. Though he didn't end up with a ton of tackles he was always in the right place at the right time, forcing McCaffery to cut into waiting Texans defenders and preventing at least three chunk plays that would have almost definitely come to fruition had it not been for his positioning. We give plaudits to Coach Austin for being the best run-stopping user we have faced thus far.