News » Panthers vs Giants: Step UP or Step OUT

Welcome back to the 2018 edition of Step UP or Step OUT http://www.carolinapanthersteamonline.com/wes-horton-jersey , a series on CSR that is intended to look at players who are playing well and highlight a few that need to step their game up. Think of it as a heat index for the Carolina Panthers; guys who are playing well are stepping up and those who aren’t need to improve their game or. . . step out.This week we’ll look at some guys that really performed quite well before the bye and need to maintain that intensity heading into our week five bout with the New York Giants. The others mentioned, well. . . they need to play better or maybe just step out of the way and let someone else take over.Steppin’ UPChristian McCaffreyHeat Rating: Five Star Grand Theft Auto wanted levelThrough three games this season, no one on offense has made more of a consistent impact than Christian McCaffrey, and that really came to a peak during the game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Run CMC racked up nearly 200 yards from scrimmage, the vast majority of which were rushing yards as opposed to receiving. It was great to see McCaffrey both be used and be effective in a more traditional running back role, and I would hate to be the Giants staring down the barrel of that particular gun right now.Cam Newton“Drip” level: Trying to sleep surrounded by leaky faucets with half filled bowls beneath themCam Newton continues what has so far been an excellent season under freshman offensive coordinator Norv Turner and his surprisingly tailored offense. I couldn’t imagine coming into this year it would be the defense that draws most of my ire, but here we are. Cam has been more accurate, more poised both in and out of the pocket, and is making good decisions pertaining to when to run it himself, pass it Authentic Trai Turner Jersey , or hand it off. His completion percentage, touted as “the must have stat” by all arm-chair analysts the world over, continues to rise. He is finally “elite.”Efe ObadaHeat Rating: A balmy summer day on the shores of Essex (I assume)Everyone’s favorite new breakout player had himself one hell of a game against the Bengals. He logged a sack, and easily could have two if not for those pesky replay officials, as well as a heads up interception to help throw the game in the bag. Time will tell if Efe can maintain this momentum and show himself to be capable as more than just a speed rush type, because if the offensive lineman did get his hands on him, he was not very good at disengaging. Still, it’s an encouraging sign to see a guy who has worked so hard to get to where he is have a moment or two of glory.Steppin’ OUTShaq ThompsonCold Rating: A bonfire that has burned down to mostly ashTo be clear, I like Shaq Thompson overall. I think he is going to be a fine player for us for a long time. But after a hot start, his play has cooled in recent weeks Womens Torrey Smith Jersey , and we’re starting to notice the absence of Thomas Davis more and more. He’s not been a sure tackler in these last couple of contests, and even his coverage has been lacking, supposedly a highlight of his game.Captain MunnerlynCold Rating: Frozen Fish SticksFor a guy who did a lot of talking about his usage during the offseason, he hasn’t done much to inspire confidence that he is a reliable nickel corner. I don’t necessarily see an alternative to him on the roster, or one that I know much about, but we have seen a lot of third receivers make an impact on his watch. To the naked eye, he seems a few steps slow on his coverage, and it has been glaring with the play of James Bradberry and Donte Jackson really jumping off the screen. The Carolina Panthers outplayed the Baltimore Ravens at every level in Sunday’s 36-21 win. The Ravens, who held the league’s best pass rush, were limited to no sacks. D.J. Moore had his long awaited breakout game. Moore caught five passes for 90 yards and rushed out of the backfield twice for 39 yards. In just the first half Authentic Cam Newton Jersey , Cam Newton completed 21 of 29 passes for 219 yards and two touchdowns. Cam Newton finished the game with a 72.4 completion percentage and added a rushing touchdown.The Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost a heartbreaker to the Cincinnati Bengals. In a must win game, the Bucs fell 37-34. The Bucs run defense entered the game No. 6 in the NFL, but were soon gashed by the Bengals. Joe Mixon ran for 114 yards on 14 carries in the first half. The Bucs’ defense regrouped for the after halftime and held Mixon to only nine yards on seven carries in the second half. However, it wasn’t enough to stop the Bengals from getting the final score as the clock expired on a 44-yard field goal. In an attempt to push the consecutive win total at Bank of American Stadium to 10, and a matchup against division rivals, here are three keys for the Panthers’ offense to defeat the Bucs’ defense: Use speedsters to open up passing attack: The Buccaneers rank 31 out of 32 in passing defense. They allow an average 8.8 yards in the air. The Panthers need to attack outside against the Bucs’ weak group of defensive backs. Brent Grimes is arguably the best player in that secondary, but he shouldn’t be tough to handle. Following the breakthrough game by Moore, the Panthers could use his speed as well as Curtis Samuel’s. Block OLB Lavonte David: With the absence of Kwon Alexander due to a torn ACL, Lavonte David has taken over the defense. He leads Tampa Bay with 43 tackles. David will try to get his hands on Christian McCaffrey and Greg Olsen. It’s key to zone in on David to prevent him from getting after the Panthers’ offensive weapons. Open up opportunities for CMC: Bengals’ running back Mixon did damage early on against the Bucs on Sunday. In mid-September, Panthers signed veteran left tackle Chris Clark after injuries plagued the offensive line. Last week against the Ravens Authentic DJ Moore Jersey , Clark had his best game yet. Clark along with starting guards Greg Van Roten, Trai Turner, center Ryan Kalil, and right tackle Taylor Moton need to come together again as a unit and build lanes for McCaffrey. Should McCaffrey get his momentum on the ground, there should be no stopping the Panthers. The Panthers will need to key in on their explosive players in order to defeat the Buccaneers. Whether that’s on ground or in the air, Carolina should be able to handle Tampa Bay if they do so.