The Carolina Panthers didn’t get the result they wanted in Week 9, but the film still offered a few bright spots in a 26-21 loss to the Denver Broncos.
Penalties, kicking issues and, as the source noted, perhaps some questionable officiating helped push Carolina into its third straight defeat. Still, the reigning NFC South champs stayed in the fight throughout Sunday’s game, and the latest Pro Football Focus grades point to a handful of performances that should give the team something to build on.
At the top of the offensive grades was tight end Mitchell Evans, who posted an 86.6. He only caught two passes for 20 yards, but his blocking made the difference, including a team-best 80.1 mark in the run game. Right behind him was fellow tight end Darren Waller at 84.7 after leading all Panthers pass catchers with eight receptions for 90 yards and a touchdown.
Quarterback Bryce Young also landed near the top of the group with an 84.3. He finished 28 of 39 for 276 yards, three touchdowns and a wacky interception.
Wide receiver John Metchie III checked in next at 75.2, followed by Tetairoa McMillan at 72.7.
The lowest offensive grades came on the line. Right tackle Monroe Freeling finished at 59.2, left tackle Rasheed Walker at 59.1 and center Luke Fortner at 57.5.
Brycen Tremayne came in at 54.9, while left guard Torricelli Simpkins III was last at 40.7 while filling in for the injured Damien Lewis. Freeling and Walker were both charged with three pressures, and Simpkins received a 45.6 pass-blocking grade.
On defense, Lee Hunter again stood out. His 85.3 led the unit for a second straight week, and he was credited with two stops.
Safety Zakee Wheatley followed at 75.6, with Bobby Brown III at 70.6, Tyrel Dodson at 69.5 and Chau Smith-Wade at 69.4. Dodson also tied for the team lead with eight tackles while stepping in for Bobby Okereke.
The roughest defensive grades belonged to the secondary and front. Derrick Brown was at 50.4, Corey Thornton at 42.2, Marco Wilson at 33.9, Tershawn Wharton at 33.3 and Aaron Hall at 25.5.
Wilson’s day was especially tough. He was tagged with a team-worst 32.1 coverage grade after allowing three catches for 44 yards on four targets, and he was penalized four times. Thornton wasn’t far behind, posting a 48.9 coverage grade while giving up four receptions for 57 yards and two touchdowns and drawing three flags.
Grades listed were provided by PFF as of 9:00 a.m. ET on Monday, Nov. 9, and included players who logged at least 10 offensive or defensive snaps.
In Other News...
Panthers Just Opened The Door For A Deadline Move
The Panthers created a little more breathing room ahead of the NFL trade deadline by restructuring offensive tackle Taylor Motons contract, a move that clears $3.5 million against the 2024 salary cap. For a team still sorting through its long-term roster picture, that kind of flexibility matters, especially when the deadline is approaching and opportunities can disappear quickly.
Carolina has already shown some interest in adding help on the back end, hosting cornerback Jack Jones for a visit without making a signing yet. With extra cap space now available, the front office has more room to chase a move if the right player comes into view, and the next step will be whether the Panthers choose to use that opening before the deadline passes. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Secondary Problem Just Became Dan Morgans Toughest Call
The Panthers cornerback room has been thinned out by injuries all season, and the ripple effect has left Dan Morgan staring at one of the rosters most pressing decisions. Jaycee Horn, Mike Jackson and Akayleb Evans have all landed on injured reserve, forcing Carolina to keep patching together depth behind its starters while trying to stay competitive in the secondary.
Morgan now has to decide whether to make a move before the NFL trade deadline or hold off and attack the need in the offseason through the draft or free agency. With so few healthy corners available, the question is no longer whether Carolina needs help there, but how aggressively the front office wants to chase it. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Suddenly Face A Trade Deadline Decision They Can't Ignore
A rough stretch has left Carolina in a familiar spot for this stage of the season: still hanging around the top of the NFC South, but with a record that makes every roster move feel heavier than it should. The Panthers are there by tiebreakers more than dominance, and after the latest loss, the conversation has shifted quickly from standings to whether the front office needs to act before the trade deadline to shore up a team that still has obvious holes.
The most obvious areas of concern are the secondary and the pass rush, and that is where the speculation has started to build. Cornerback Riq Woolen and edge rusher Will McDonald IV have both surfaced as possible targets in the kind of deadline chatter that tends to follow a team sitting in first place without looking settled, but for Carolina the bigger question is whether help is actually available and whether the Panthers are willing to pay for it. [Read more 🡒]