By the Numbers: Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers have only been playing football since 1995, and in those 29 seasons they have been to two Super Bowls ( XXXVIII & L), losing both, while going 213-245-1 as a franchise. The Panthers are currently rebuilding behind a rookie quarterback after missing out on the postseason since losing in the Wild Card round of the playoffs after going 11-5 in 2017. Here is a look at the Panthers by the numbers before Sunday’s game against Dallas at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte.
-9.9 – The Carolina Panthers have a bad offense and a bad defense, which is why they are scoring just 17.0 points per game and giving up 26.9. Their negative 9.9-point margin is the second worst in the NFL this season, behind only the New York Giants, who are scoring just 11.8 points per game and giving up 26.6 for a negative 14.8-point margin. They fall just behind New England’s negative 9.7-point margin and Arizona’s negative 8.7-point margin. San Francisco leads the NFL in scoring margin at 12.1, behind an offense that is averaging 28.0 points per game and a defense that his holding opponents to 15.9 points per game.
31 – Carolina right tackle Taylor Moton has been one of the most abused offensive linemen in the NFL this season, and that should have the Cowboys pass rush hyped for Sunday’s game. In his nine games this season, Moton has played on 430 passing downs and allowed 31 quarterback hurries – the most in the NFL. He has allowed 32 quarterback pressures, fourth in the league this year among linemen that have played at least half the snaps. He has only given up one sack, but that is because quarterback Bryce Young is good at running for his life. As an offensive line, the Panthers have given up 132 quarterback pressures – just 16 sacks, 17 quarterback hits and 104 quarterback hurries. As a team, they have allowed 29 sacks.
39 – The Carolina Panthers are one of the worst running teams in the NFL this season, averaging just 90.5 yards per game. They are led, if you can say that, by running back Chuba Hubbard, who has 351 yards on 94 carries. He is averaging just 39.0 yards per start and has played in all nine games this season. The third year back is far below last season’s performance, where he rushed for 466 yards on 95 carries, but his yards per start is up this season by eight yards. His 3.7 yards per carry this season is third on the team of players with more than 10 carries behind quarterback Bryce Young (20-136 for a 6.8 average) and wide receiver Laviska Shenault Jr. (12-55 for a 4.6 average).
80 – Adam Thielen has been one of the most consistent receivers in the NFL over his 10-year career. This year is no different. Of players with more than 20 target this season, Thielen, who has caught 68 of 85 targets, is tied for third in percentage of targets caught at 80-percent. He is in lockstep with Kansas City’s Rashee Rice, who has caught 32 of his 40 targets this season. Thielen, and Rice, are behind only Buffalo’s Khalil Shakur (19 of 21 for 90.5-percent) and the New York Giants’ Wan’Dale Robinson (29 of 35 for 82.9-percent). Thielen is just in front of CeeDee Lamb, who has caught 68 of 86 passes for a 79.1-percent completion rate.
1,560 – The Panthers have a short history, so it shouldn’t be any surprise that rookie quarterback Bryce Young is already 11th in all-time passing yards for the franchise. Young has racked up his yardage in eight games, averaging just 195 yards per game. He will need another 1,000-plus yards to pass Matt Moore (2,640) and move into the top 10. If he can average 287.5 yards the rest of the season, he can move past Rodney Peete (2,652), Kyle Allen (3,588), Sam Darnold (3,670), Teddy Bridgewater (3,733) and Chris Weinke (3,800). He will then have work to do to climb past the top four – Kerry Collins (8,306), Steve Beuerlein (12,690), Jake Delhomme (19,258) and the king Cam Newton (29,725).
34,761 – Quarterback Cam Newton is the most prolific offensive player in Carolina Panthers history. He leads the franchise in passing yards with 29,725, more than 10,000 yards more than Jake Delhomme (19.258 yards), who sits behind him second overall in passing yards for the Panthers. Newton rushed for 5,036 yards in his 11 seasons, which is third overall on the team’s all-time rushing leaders list, behind only Jonathan Stewart (7,318) and DeAngelo Williams (6,846) and in front of Christian McCaffrey (3,980). Newton is responsible for 114 touchdowns, throwing 51 of them and rushing for another 63 in 132 games with the Panthers.