Two weeks after the Carolina Panthers lost an overtime thriller to the Atlanta Falcons, they defeated their NFC South foes on Thursday night. The win, which came despite harsh weather conditions, powered the Panthers to a tie in the season series and a 3-7 mark on the campaign.
So, let’s run down the studs and duds from Week 10 that got them there.
Stud: RB D’Onta Foreman
Foreman may officially be Atlanta’s biggest nightmare. In the Panthers’ two games against the Falcons this season, the running back has broken away for 248 rushing yards and four touchdowns.
The highlight of Foreman’s evening was a 12-yard touchdown run in the third quarter to give his team a 19-9 lead. He cut to the outside and shed a tackle before hitting the end zone and leaping into the first row of the crowd at Bank of America Stadium—helping regain some support from a frustrated fanbase in the process.
Dud: WR Shi Smith
For someone who was once expected to be the Panthers’ No. 2 wideout, one total target in primetime football does not bode well for Smith’s future. His dismal target share ranks fourth on the team—behind DJ Moore, Laviska Shenault Jr. and Terrace Marshall, Jr.
Save for a 17-yard reception, Smith left a bit of a dull effect on the game. Following an incompletion to Marshall Jr., Smith was flagged for unnecessary roughness in the third quarter—sending Carolina back to its own 25-yard line to start a drive that ended in a three-and-out.
Stud: WR Laviska Shenault Jr.
Shenault Jr. is one of two receivers who have overcome forgettable starts to the season thanks to the departures of former head coach Matt Rhule and wideout Robbie Anderson. On Thursday, Shenault Jr. used his trademark open-field skills to notch a 41-yard rushing touchdown late in the first half, helping the Panthers take an early lead over their division rivals.
The Falcons were so scared after the big play that they overcommitted coverage toward him for the rest of the game. Notably, Shenault Jr. helped set up a deep completion to Smith in the third quarter as he motioned to the right and drew the secondary closer to the line of scrimmage. As the defense scrambled to figure out where he lined up, they left Smith wide open to haul in a 17-yard reception from quarterback PJ Walker.
Dud: S Xavier Woods
Woods has had up-and-down start to his season in Carolina. And now, his costly penalties and dropped interceptions have become more noticeable.
On Thursday night, Woods dropped another easy pick and was responsible for a penalty that set up a Falcons field goal attempt. With just under two minutes remaining in the first half, Woods was called for unnecessary roughness after quarterback Marcus Mariota completed a 14-yard pass to wideout Drake London. The penalty yardage moved Atlanta from their own side of the field to Carolina’s, allowing kicker Younghoe Koo to drill a 33-yard field goal as time expired.
Stud: RB Raheem Blackshear
Blackshear, the undrafted rookie out of Virginia Tech, just saw his highest carry total despite the return of Chuba Hubbard. He took advantage of those six touches, too, converting them into 32 yards to average 5.3 yards per carry.
Under the mentorship of D’Onta Foreman, Blackshear could threaten for the No. 2 spot.
Dud: RB Chuba Hubbard
Hubbard came back from injury just to fall behind Blackshear and into the No. 3 spot on the night. Before his injury, Hubbard and Foreman looked to be a promising answer to the question of how the Panthers will work on offense without McCaffrey.
In recent weeks, though, that committee has looked like it’s shifting into a more traditional workhorse system, and Foreman is the main beneficiary.
Stud: DT Derrick Brown
Brown is easily having the best season of his career after many were ready to call him a “bust” due to disappointing rookie and sophomore campaigns.
Despite the Panthers only being 10 games into their 17-game season, Brown topped his old single-season tackle record Thursday night as he eclipsed the 41-tackle mark in the primetime win. It’s rare for a tackle to command so much attention from interior and exterior offensive linemen, but Brown was easily the most effective defensive lineman in Carolina despite all the extra recognition.
Dud: DE Yetur Gross-Matos
This one is not just specific to the Falcons game, but Gross-Matos definitely didn’t help his poor season with a three-tackle performance Thursday night.
Unfortunately for Carolina, Gross-Matos has been one of the biggest disappointments on the defense in a year in which many projected him to have a breakout season opposite Brian Burns. Instead, he continues missing tackles and failing to generate pressure on the quarterback, all of which combine for plays like the one where his missed sack allowed a 26-yard scramble by Mariota.
