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| Mike Tolbert relished the chance to run over his old team in the Panthers' blowout of the Chargers. (US Presswire) |
The Panthers had their biggest road win since Cam Newton was at Blinn College. Sunday’s 31-7 win at San Diego was their most-lopsided victory since a home game against Tampa last Christmas Eve. That was also the last time the Panthers won two games in a row, and Sunday’s win was their most lopsided on the road since Dec. 27, 2009 against the Giants.
Offense: A
The Panthers tied a team record with 21 first-quarter points and set a record with 29 first downs in the game. Newton extended his interception-free streak to a team-record 152 passes. He had 231 yards and two touchdowns. DeAngelo Williams had 93 yards rushing, and Mike Tolbert ran over his old team for 40 yards and two touchdowns. Previous game's grade: A
Defense: A
The defense had its best game of the season, dominating Philip Rivers and the Chargers from the outset. Rivers lost two fumbles and was sacked six times, including twice by both DEs Greg Hardy and Charles Johnson. For the second-straight week, Carolina’s defense had a first-half shutout, and San Diego didn’t score until fourth-quarter garbage time. Previous game's grade: B
Special teams: B
Brad Nortman had a sub-40-yard punting game, but otherwise special teams performed well. Joe Adams averaged 16 yards on two punt returns, and Tolbert and Armond Smith each had 26-yard kick returns. Previous game's grade: C+
Coaching: A-
The Panthers came out with an attitude and dominated coach Ron Rivera’s former team. Rivera gets a share of the credit for motivating the team. The game plan also overwhelmed the Chargers in a first quarter that removed any doubt of the eventual outcome. Tolbert, another former Charger, was used more early than in any other game this season, crossing up the San Diego defense and sparking the team. Previous game's grade: B+
For more up-to-the-minute news and analysis on the Carolina Panthers from blogger Shawn Krest, follow @CBSPanthers.
