Chargers @ Panthers
Final Score: LAC 26 – CAR 3
Writer: Raymi Chavez
The Panthers entered their home opener with high hopes to bounce back from a throttling at the hands of the New Orleans Saints. They promptly fell flat on their faces. Four straight three-and-outs to start the game seemed bad enough, but once they picked up their first first down of the game, Bryce Young threw a backbreaking interception up the middle. Any potential momentum was stifled immediately.
The Chargers led 20-0 at halftime and just continued to lean on the Panthers D-Line led by JK Dobbins. As the slow, meticulous ground-and-pound beatdown of the Panthers came to a merciless whimper of an ending. Hoping I never have to watch this Carolina Panthers team attempt to run an offense again.
Three Up
- JK Dobbins – Dobbins followed up his electric season debut with another explosive game showing that his Week 1 performance may be closer to the norm than an anomaly. Averaging 7.7 yards per carry on 17 touches and clearly becoming the team’s lead rusher.
- Quentin Johnston – Johnston had a surprisingly positive opening week and followed that up with a multi-touchdown game while leading the team in targets. Justin Herbert went to him in the red zone and on third downs through the air, this team looks like it’s planning on utilizing Johnston often this season.
- Chuba Hubbard – The Panthers got almost nothing going on offense today, but when they did it was centered around Hubbard breaking chunk plays. Hubbard was the only bright spot of the game for Carolina today.
Two Down
- Bryce Young – The young quarterback continues to struggle, not even managing to throw 100 yards on 26 attempts. His interception in the first half was a massive head-scratcher.
- Miles Sanders – Sanders was given far more snaps than he should have been. While Hubbard was able to find daylight, Sanders consistently found himself getting stuffed.
Los Angeles Chargers
Quarterback
Justin Herbert: 14/20, 130 Yards, 2 TD, 1 INT | 6 Carries, 18 Yards, 1 Fumble (Lost)
After a clinical performance against the Raiders last week, where he made the throws he needed to and kept the ball out of danger, Herbert regressed this week. Although he had a nice deep TD to Johnston on their first drive, he threw an interception on his next drive and had a fumble in the second half trying to extend a play he didn’t need to. Luckily they were playing the Panthers and didn’t have to worry about losing the game. With this offense led by Jim Harbaugh, Herbert only needs to play clean and lean on the run game to have success. Herbert at best is at the bottom end of starting caliber quarterbacks in fantasy, as this team’s gameplan doesn’t involve a lot of production from him.
Running Back
J.K. Dobbins: 17 Carries, 131 Yards, TD | 1 Target, 1 Reception
Dobbins dominates again. Highlighted by a 44-yard touchdown run, Dobbins constantly gashed the Panthers’ defense for chunk play after chunk play, an absurd 7.7 yards per carry, and taking a clear lead in the RB room in Los Angeles. Dobbins is on pace to be a top-5 RB and could be this year’s league winner. I believe he is already a must-start, as long as he stays healthy he’ll put up numbers.
Gus Edwards: 18 Carries, 59 Yards
By snap count (32 for Dobbins, 28 for Gus) it would seem as if there is still a 50/50 timeshare in the Chargers RB room. It was clear watching that JK is the lead back and will get the first bite at the apple. Gus was outsnapped 22-13 in the first half and only caught up in the second half as the game got out of hand. 3.3 yards per carry just will not cut it as drives seemed to stall as soon as Edwards was subbed in for Dobbins. Gus is nothing more than a streaming or stash option at this point.
Hassan Haskins: 3 Carries, 11 Yards
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Quentin Johnston: 6 Targets, 5 Receptions, 51 Yards, 2 TD
Big day for Johnston as he was game-planned for, seeing targets in big-time red zone and third down plays. Harbaugh and Herbert seem to like this kid. Although most of us were ready to write him off after his rookie season, it seems we may have acted too soon.
Ladd McConkey: 4 Targets, 2 Receptions, 26 Yards
McConkey had a disappointing follow-up to his active first week. Trusted by Herbert still, this Chargers pass game seems to have a cap on its production for WRs and proves to be inconsistent week-to-week. He did have a great 15-yard chunk play taken away due to a hold.
Will Dissly: 3 Targets, 3 Receptions, 29 Yards
Dissly seemed to be favored by Herbert out of the TE room and made a couple of nice plays, but this team’s TE room seemed to be used as an extra lineman more than as receivers.
Joshua Palmer: 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 19 Yards
Palmer with another disappointing performance. His skill set is best used in red zone and deep pass plays, which are the plays Harbaugh seems to have taken out of the playbook. I would hold him on your bench for maybe another week but could be a drop candidate sooner rather than later.
Hayden Hurst: 2 Targets, 1 Reception, 5 Yards
It’s a crowded TE room in a run-heavy offense, there won’t be a TE on this team worth rostering beyond emergency streaming situations.
Eric Tomlinson: 1 Target
Carolina Panthers
Quarterback
Bryce Young: 18/26, 84 Yards, 1 INT | 1 Carry, 6 Yards
Shockingly, his terrible statline doesn’t even properly paint the picture of just how bad Bryce looked today. He just doesn’t seem to be an NFL-level quarterback. Tons of missed throws, and a brutal boneheaded interception. He’s just not tall enough. This season could get even worse for the Panthers before it gets better. If you roster Bryce, I would do anything in my power not to. The calm veteran Adam Thielen was visibly frustrated throughout the game. My heart goes out to Panthers fans.
Running Back
Chuba Hubbard: 10 Carries, 64 Yards | 5 Targets, 4 Receptions, 12 Yards
The lone bright spot for Carolina’s offense, Canadian speedster Hubbard continually found himself making solid gains. Finishing with a 6.4 yard per carry figure, he figures to be the only fantasy-relevant player on the roster, but even then when rookie Brooks comes back from injury whatever fantasy production Chuba provides could be cut into.
Miles Sanders: 7 Carries, 20 Yards | 3 Targets, 3 Receptions, 5 Yards
For whatever reason Canales insisted on getting Sanders reps despite him constantly stalling out drives and failing to deliver any sort of jolt from the backfield. Sanders has never looked the same since his breakout season with Philadelphia and in this offense, I doubt he ever will.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Diontae Johnson: 6 Targets, 3 Receptions, 15 Yards
Johnson ran some great routes and although he only hauled in half of his targets, he had no drops. Young just consistently missed him, Johnson had the opportunity to have a solid fantasy week but was let down by QB play.
Tommy Tremble: 4 Targets, 3 Receptions, 23 Yards
Tremble was found often in this short-distance pass offense. He made a couple of good catches but was rarely given a chance to make anything more happen.
Adam Thielen: 3 Targets, 2 Receptions, 20 Yards
Thielen was visibly frustrated by the third quarter. He found himself open on a handful of routes that didn’t even result in targets and wasn’t targeted until halfway through the third quarter.
Ja’Tavion Sanders: 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 8 Yards
The rookie was hardly used, although he saw a healthy amount of snaps. This offense just won’t be potent enough for him to see any kind of production
Jonathan Mingo: 2 Targets, 1 Reception, 1 Yard
Wasn’t targeted until the fourth quarter when the Panthers were consistently in 4-WR sets once the game was well out of hand.
David Moore: 1 Target