Were this week’s Pro Football Focus grades as ugly as the game we got out of the Carolina Panthers and New Orleans Saints last night?
Let’s take a look at the best and worst marks for the Panthers in their 20-17 loss:
Best of the offense
1. WR Adam Thielen: 80.7
2. RT Taylor Moton: 72.8
3. LT Ikem Ekwonu: 68.2
4. RB Chuba Hubbard: 66.8
5. WR Laviska Shenault Jr.: 64.4
Thielen was the only pass catcher, let alone wide receiver, who did some actual work. He reeled in a team-high 54 yards and a touchdown off seven grabs.
Moton and Ekwonu, who also finished in the top five last week, showed up as well. They earned run-blocking grades of 80.8 and 86.5, respectively.
Worst of the offense
15. RG Cade Mays: 49.2
16. TE Tommy Tremble: 49.0
17. RG Calvin Throckmorton: 48.9
18. TE Hayden Hurst: 40.9
19. LG Chandler Zavala: 27.4
Zavala apparently had an extremely rough go in his first start at left guard. He was charged with two pressures (one sack) and mustered up an almost non-existent pass-blocking grade of 13.5.
The timeshare at right guard didn’t seem to work out well either. Mays and his eventual replacement in Throckmorton combined to allow three pressures.
Best of the defense
1. S Xavier Woods: 88.2
2. LB Frankie Luvu: 87.0
3. S Vonn Bell: 81.9
4. S Jeremy Chinn: 77.3
5. LB Kamu Grugier-Hill: 76.7
The safeties showed out. Woods, the second-highest graded Carolina defender from last week, recorded eight tackles while Bell snatched the unit’s first takeaway of the campaign.
And we can’t move on without mentioning Luvu. Uce notched a team-high nine tackles, a pair of sacks and a 92.6 pass-rushing grade—the third-highest of all defenders in Week 2.
Worst of the defense
14. CB CJ Henderson: 59.4
15. OLB Brian Burns: 57.9
16. CB Troy Hill: 56.1
17. OLB Amaré Barno: 52.4
18. CB Donte Jackson: 49.0
The corners didn’t have a great time in their first game without Jaycee Horn.
Jackson allowed six receptions for 98 yards over 10 targets, including the pivotal 45-yarder to Saints wideout Rashid Shaheed. Henderson was responsible for four catches and 57 yards on five targets.
