It’s difficult to highlight the positive amongst all the negative that the Carolina Panthers have experienced this season—and it definitely didn’t get much easier after Sunday’s loss to the Detroit Lions. But if you’re strictly an Adam Thielen fan, then welcome back to the party!
In what’s almost become a weekly celebration of the 33-year-old wideout, let’s take a look at the best and worst Pro Football Focus grades for the Panthers from Week 5:
Best of the offense
1. WR Adam Thielen: 85.5
2. LT Ikem Ekwonu: 76.2
3. TE Ian Thomas: 71.1
4. RB Chuba Hubbard: 68.2
5. QB Andy Dalton: 66.5*
*Played one snap
Thielen notched game-highs in receptions (11) and receiving yards (107), and scored his third touchdown of the season. He now has two No. 1 finishes and two No. 2 finishes in offensive grading for Carolina through five games.
Ekwonu, who also ended up in the top five last week, comes back with another strong showing. He allowed three pressures over 41 pass-blocking opportunities.
Worst of the offense
13. QB Bryce Young: 56.6
14. LG Chandler Zavala: 56.1
15. TE Hayden Hurst: 53.6
16. RT Taylor Moton: 52.1
17. RB Miles Sanders: 47.0
Moton, who saw plenty of Lions star defender Aidan Hutchinson, didn’t have as fun of an outing as his fellow offensive tackle did. He was charged with six pressures and earned a pass-blocking grade of 33.6—by far his worst of 2023.
Sanders figured to show up here as well. He seemingly missed quite a few open holes and recorded his second fumble of the campaign.
Best of the defense
1. LB Kamu Grugier-Hill: 76.5
2. OLB Brian Burns: 69.4
3. OLB Yetur Gross-Matos: 68.3
4. OLB Amaré Barno: 64.4
5. DT LaBryan Ray: 62.6
He may have been frustrated, but Burns wasn’t bad. The two-time Pro Bowl pass rusher tallied four pressures, one of which accounted for his fourth sack of the season.
Gross-Matos had two pressures of his own, keeping up on his standout season.
Worst of the defense
16. NT Shy Tuttle: 46.2
17. OLB Justin Houston: 44.7
18. CB Sam Webb: 41.8
19. S Jeremy Chinn: 35.5
20. DT Nick Thurman: 29.8
That aforementioned frustration from Burns boiled over on Thurman’s neutral zone infraction, which gave the Lions a first down on a fourth-and-1 spot.
Chinn, who played just 18 snaps, had a rough go at trying to hold down tight end Sam LaPorta. The rookie went for two catches on Chinn, one of which resulted in a 31-yard trip to the end zone.
