Panthers’ GM Dan Morgan finally sees some rewarding pay off from his recent investments during Week 5 win over the Dolphins
Carolina had a lot of standout players in Week 5.
The Carolina Panthers were in dire need of a get-right win following an abysmal Week 4 performance and spent the week leading up to Sunday doing some self-scouting and roster overhaul.
At first, things seemed to be headed in the wrong direction against the Miami Dolphins in Week 5 after two early turnovers put Carolina in a 17-0 hole at home.
However, the team stayed resilient and continued to battle back for all four quarters, with multiple new players standing out, which should be an encouraging sight for general manager Dan Morgan.
Panthers standout players vs. Dolphins in Week 5 win
When looking at the Panthers’ win on Sunday, the first player you have to recognize is running back Rico Dowdle. After signing with the team on a cheap one-year deal in free agency, the North Carolina native got his first start for his new team after running back Chuba Hubbard was ruled out on Friday.
Dowdle carried the ball 23 times for a total of 206 yards and one touchdown while adding 28 yards receiving. The commitment to the run despite the early deficit allowed Dowdle to break free on multiple occasions and very much looked like the back who rushed for over 1,000 yards a season ago.
In the passing game, rookie first-rounder Tetairoa McMillan led the team in receiving for the fifth consecutive game with 73 yards on six receptions but the feel good moment came when wide receiver Xavier Legette scored in the second quarter to make up for his early season struggles.
Hats off to Dan Morgan for the play of his entire rookie class in this one. Head coach Dave Canales has been committed to playing his young players and the majority of the rookies played some big roles on Sunday, beyond McMillan.
Fellow wide receiver Jimmy Horn Jr. made his first NFL debut and had a clutch grab on fourth-down. Running back Trevor Etienne averaged 5.5 yards per carry with a seven-yard reception as the backup behind Dowdle. And on defense, edge rushers Nic Scourton and Princely Umanmielen along with safety Lathan Ransom got some more playing time to show what they can do.
As for some of the other additions Morgan made to this roster, safety Tre’von Moehrig, linebacker Christian Rozeboom, and pass rusher Pat Jones II all had strong performances on defense.
Morgan has to feel really good about how his investments this offseason looked on Sunday, but, it was against a struggling Dolphins team. The big thing now is whether or not the Panthers can actually stack two wins in a row when the team faces the Dallas Cowboys in Week 6.
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