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The one thing that’s been working for the Lions offense may not be available the rest of the day. The one thing that has given the Panthers a chance may not either.Running back Kerryon Johnson just went to the locker room https://www.carolinapanthersfanshop.com/Christian-Mccaffrey-Jersey , to be checked for a left knee injury.Johnson walked slowly under his own power, after athletic trainers spent a good bit of time checking him out. He has 87 yards on 15 carries already today, as he continues to show he should be the Lions’ bell-cow back (LeGarrette Blount has zero yards on three attempts).The Lions are hanging onto a 13-7 lead because the Panthers haven’t done much either.But it may be getting harder, as quarterback Cam Newton just went down and had his athletic training staff checking his left knee. Taylor Heinicke has entered the game for the Panthers, as Newton’s getting checked on the sidelines. Newton returned to the field on the following possession. The Panthers’ second game of the season couldn’t have been more different than their first. In the season opener https://www.carolinapanthersfanshop.com/Daryl-Williams-Jersey , a stifling defense shouldered the load while the offense did just enough. This week the offense did all it could to keep the team above water while the defense floundered. On a day where the defense was the main culprit in the loss, here were the biggest bright spots:Kawann Short and Julius Peppers each make their second appearance on this list in as many games. Short finished the day with 6 tackles and two tackles for loss while Peppers notched a single tackle. The 38 year old vet was on the field for just 30% of the defense’s snaps (19 total), which needs to change. Corn Elder and Captain Munnerlyn shut down Falcons slot receiver Mohamad Sanu, as Matt Ryan’s usual number two target was contained to just 19 yards on two catches. Elder was on the field for 20 snaps, his first as a pro. Hopefully the coaching staff recognizes his strong play and gives him more opportunities. Notably absent from the list of top Panthers defenders are linebackers Luke Kuechly and Shaq Thompson. Falcons running back Tevin Coleman gashed the Panthers for 107 yards on 16 carries https://www.carolinapanthersfanshop.com/Donte-Jackson-Jersey , and Thomspon and Kuechly’s inability to navigate the Falcons zone blocking scheme played a major part in that. Shaq compounded his issues in the run game by giving up a touchdown to Falcons tight end Austin Hooper that gave Atlanta the lead heading into the half. The 7.4 yards per play allowed to the Falcons was the 7th highest mark allowed by the Panthers in the Ron Rivera era, and the worst since the team’s 40-7 defeat at the hands of the Seahawks in the infamous tie-gate game in December 2016. While the defense was doing everything wrong, the offense tried to make a game of it. Cam Newton returns as the only player to rank in the top 5 each week, which comes as a surprise to no one. Newton tallied 335 yards and 3 touchdowns through the air with a good-quarterback-worthy 71.1% completion percentage and an interception that really belongs on C.J. Anderson’s stat sheet. His most reliable receiving targets also made the list. McCaffrey snared all 14 of his genuine targets (the other being a throwaway) and turned them into 102 yards against a Falcons defense that was stifling the Panthers outside threats at wide receiver. And he averaged 4.6 yards per tote on 8 carries to boot. Wright snagged 5 passes of his own, all of which picked up either a first down or a touchdown. Rookie D.J. Moore did the same thing Greg Olsen Jersey , albeit on a single catch during his 17 snaps. Apparently taking your first career target 51 yards for a touchdown can catch the eye of a coaching staff, as Ron Rivera has already come out and said he wants to see more Moore. Through two weeks, the Panthers sit 15th in total offense and 13th in total defense, the average of two polar opposite performances. Next week’s game against the Bengals will paint a clearer picture of the true identity of this team heading into the week 4 bye.