Cat Scratch Reader
In this year’s edition of the Carolina Panthers playing an confusing and overall weird game versus the Arizona Cardinals, the Panthers’ went down early and looked dreadful before a herculean 2nd half effort to storm back from a 27-3 deficit to being 51 yards away from victory. After a perfectly executed onside kick, the Head Coach Dave Canales found his team with the ball on offense, just less than 2 minutes to go, and a hair over half the field to go before completing what could, and likely should, have been the largest comeback in Panthers history.
What followed next is one of the most confounding instances of situational football many have ever witnessed. A drive that was officially only 8 plays for 5 yards included a sea of mistakes by both teams and a whopping 6(!) penalties.
After a thorough review, there were 3 key reasons why the drive fell so flat and ended a dazzling 2nd half with a pitiful whimper. First, here’s a quick review of the entire drive.
A quick drive starter falls incomplete as a defender drives on the out-route by McMillan and the contact is enough to disrupt the receiver.
Young’s pass is batted down at the line of scrimmage as Zavala is pushed back into the pocket. Young looked to be targeting an open Legette over the middle of the field for at least a first down, assuming Legette can bring the ball in.
After a free 5 yards, there was a pretty easy holding call there to be made on the pass to Tremayne that went uncalled on the following play. Cardinals blitz 6 with only 5 Panthers in protection, so the ball has to come out quickly. Cardinals know this and are playing receivers physically and not allowing them to get out of their breaks without a fight.
Thank goodness the actual play did not count as Young tried to make something with his legs and ended up fumbling in the process. The penalty was called on the receiver covering McMillan, however there was another easy defensive holding call on Tremayne on the opposite side of the field. Could Young have found a receiver if both were not held on the play?
Spoiler: Hubbard’s 3 yard run was the only yards gained on the drive by an actual offensive play.
The first penalty of the drive for the Panthers goes to Chandler Zavala who was playing in place of the injured Robert Hunt. Would have been an 11 yard gain to Hubbard. A potential momentum...
