Xavier Legette, Trevin Wallace dazzle; other Panthers winners and losers from the week 6 loss to Atlanta

Matt Alquiza | Oct 13, 2024

Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Winners

Black helmets and blue uniforms

Chuba Hubbard said it on Wednesday. You look good, you feel good, you play good. The Carolina Panthers Process Blue uniforms and black helmets looked sharp on Sunday as the sun descended and the stadium lights brightened. The Panthers ultimately lost their week six divisional contest against the Falcons, but the product on the field was much improved from last week in Chicago. Did the uniforms play a part? I'm thinking yes.

Patchwork offensive line

Folks that weren't aware of the pre-game inactives list would have had no clue that Carolina was missing two starters on their offensive line. Brady Christensen and Yosh Nijamn were both impressive in relief of ailing starters Austin Corbett and Taylor Moton. The front five kept Andy Dalton clean most of the evening, allowing the veteran gunslinger to look more like the quarterback that competed in weeks three and four instead of the one that disappointed last week. It wasn't a perfect performance by any means, but it was enough for Carolina to compete in a game in which they were big underdogs at kickoff.

Dionate Johnson, Xavier Legette, and Jalen Coker

There is a new set of triplets in Carolina. Jonathan Mingo's demotion (more on that below) and Adam Thielen's injury have opened up the door for Johnson, Legette, and Coker to be Carolina's primary receiving weapons now, and in the future. They delivered.

Johnson rekindled his magnet-like connection with Dalton as they connected on a first half touchdown. Legette electrified the Bank of America Stadium crowd as he mounted his imaginary steed "Dolla Bill" following his second career score to cap the first half. Coker has embraced his role as a third down chain mover that every offense covets. Sunday was impressive for all three, and it may have been a glimpse of Carolina's wide receiver rotation in 2025 and beyond.

Trevin Wallace

Wallace has carved out a weekly space in the winners portion of this article. The rookie linebacker forced and recovered his first career fumble following a Ray-Ray McCloud III catch in the second quarter; a continuation of his stellar play as a rookie. Wallace is far from perfect, but through two starts, he has solidified his status as a building block in Charlotte. He plays with a controlled aggression, flying to the ball as he accrues tackles all over the turf, reminding seasoned fans of the laundry list of great linebackers that have played in Carolina over the years.

Losers

Jonathan Mingo

It seems as if Mingo has been usurped by rookie wide receiver Jalen Coker. Coker, an undrafted free agent from Holy Cross, played significantly more snaps than Mingo throughout Sunday's pivotal divisional matchup. Carolina drafted Mingo out of Ole Miss in 2023 to pair with Bryce Young as the franchise's cornerstone duo going forward, and through six games of their second season, it seems as if both have been relegated to bench roles. Mingo was still bestowed with the honorary designation of "starter," but his playing time suggests that he has dropped in the pecking order of the Panthers' receiving room.

Run defense

Sheesh.

Carolina's poor run defense is the product of a battered front seven. Losing Derrick Brown, an all-world run stuffer, Jadeveon Clowney, Shaq Thompson, and Josey Jewell among others, was a death sentence for an already thin front. The Panthers front seven has been pegged as a weakness since, well, January, and the compounding of injuries has made it near-impossible for them to compete from week-to-week. Atlanta's mauling offensive line overwhelmed the Carolina front from the jump, with Kirk Cousins and his deep stable of receiving options attacking openings in the secondary that the run game softened.

At the time of Atlanta's fourth touchdown that all but iced the game, the Falcons were averaging 6.1 yards per carry. Bijan Robinson racked up 95 yards and two scores, with his backup Tyler Allgeier amassing 86 yards and a score of his own.

Third down and red zone defense

In non-garbage time Atlanta converted on six of ten third down conversion attempts. They also scored on every trip to the red zone, a total of four touchdowns and two field goals.

It's just not good enough to win football games.

Any defensive performance by the Carolina Panthers deserves a boat load of context. The unit was talent bereft to start the season, and a littany of injuries have only weakened the already downtrodden unit. Dan Morgan and Dave Canales are paying for the sins committed by former general manager Scott Fitterer who left the defensive cupboard all but empty. Carolina's offseason was defined by a spending spree on offense, which has paid off, but their (rightful) negligence in upgrading their defensive personnel has made it nearly impossible to win football games in the ever-competitive NFL landscape.

Panthers fans, take solace. At least there will be some promising prospects for the team to select at the top of next years draft.

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