Panthers HC Frank Reich told his players Monday that he's handing over play-calling duties to OC Thomas Brown, NFL Network reports. The move comes as Carolina heads into a Week 7 bye. That should help with the transition, which has been rumored to be on the way since before this season started. Brown was a trendy head-coaching candidate last offseason but is in his first year as an NFL OC. So it's tough to know what to expect here. Brown did spend his first three NFL coaching seasons on Sean McVay's offensive staff, though. And it's hard to imagine the Panthers getting much less efficient on offense. They sit third-worst so far at 4.4 yards per play and third-worst in net yards per pass attempt. We'll see whether the switch produces any noticeable boost to offensive efficiency and/or fantasy upside.
Panthers RB Chuba Hubbard handled 19 of 25 team RB attempts in a Week 6 loss at Miami. He scored once on the ground but surprisingly added only 1 catch on 1 target. Hubbard’s score came on Carolina’s first possession, where he found daylight on a 6-yard run up the gut. Miles Sanders should return following a Week 7 bye, but Hubbard likely earned a bigger role going forward. Carolina squares off with the Texans in Week 8.
Panthers RB Miles Sanders (shoulder) is out for Sunday's game vs. the Dolphins. He'd been battling a bum groin and then picked up a shoulder injury last week. Sanders gets a Week 7 bye to heal up. His absence this weekend leaves Chuba Hubbard as Carolina's lead back. Sanders and Hubbard have combined to average 19.2 carries and 7.6 targets per game this season. We're certainly not expecting Hubbard to soak up all of that. The Panthers also have RB Raheem Blackshear and could use WR Laviska Shenault in the running game. But Hubbard should get enough work to be a decent RB2 play in fantasy lineups.
Panthers RB Miles Sanders (shoulder) missed practice again on Thursday. He's in real danger of missing this weekend's game vs. the Dolphins. Sanders' absence would leave Chuba Hubbard as Carolina's lead back -- and a lower-end, volume-based fantasy starter. Check back tomorrow for another update on Sanders.
Panthers HC Frank Reich told reporters Wednesday that RB Miles Sanders won't be practicing Wednesday because he "came out of the game with a little something" in his shoulder, according to Darin Gantt of the team website. Assuming the team didn't find buried treasure in that joint, Sanders is adding some sort of shoulder injury to a groin issue that has bothered him on several occasions already this year. We'll see how he progresses through the practice week, but Chuba Hubbard could be in for another solid share of backfield work in Week 6. He's worth holding -- or a modest waiver buy -- this week. No Panthers RB will be exciting against the Dolphins, however.
Panthers RB Miles Sanders lost a fumble and took a backseat to teammate Chuba Hubbard in Week 5’s loss vs. the Lions. The veteran still has a groin injury that he's working through, so it makes sense that Carolina spread the wealth around. Sanders only logged 7 carries for 32 yards, though Hubbard’s 9 attempts for 35 yards weren’t much better. Neither RB was effective in the contest against the Lions’ stout run D. It also didn’t help matters that WR Laviska Shenault Jr. siphoned off 5 carries, but sometimes weird stuff happens. It’s possible both Sanders and Hubbard could be viable deeper league options in a much better matchup vs. the Dolphins in Week 6.
Panthers RB Miles Sanders (groin) is not listed on the final Week 5 injury report. He practiced all week, including a full workout on Friday. It's an upgrade over last week, when Sanders got in just two limited practices and was listed as questionable. We expect Sanders to re-take the backfield lead vs. the Lions this weekend after being out-snapped by RB Chuba Hubbard last week.
Panthers RB Miles Sanders saw his playing time limited in Sunday's loss to Minnesota. He played six fewer snaps than Chuba Hubbard and trailed his teammate in routes and carries. Sanders gained just 19 yards on his 13 rushes (1.5 per carry). He caught all 3 targets but managed only 13 yards. Hubbard ran for 41 yards on 14 rushes (2.9 per carry) and caught both of his targets for 12 yards. Sanders didn't practice much leading up to the game, thanks to a groin injury that rendered him questionable. We'll see if HC Frank Reich signals any role shift or improvement in Sanders' injury ahead of a Week 5 visit to Detroit.
Panthers RB Miles Sanders (groin) is listed as questionable for this weekend's game vs. the Vikings. He went from limited practices on Wednesday and Thursday to no practice on Friday, which is obviously worrisome. But HC Frank Reich said Friday that he's "optimistic" that Sanders will be able to play this weekend. We'll look for further updates on the situation and get Carolina's inactives around 11:30 am ET on Sunday. Chuba Hubbard would step in as Carolina's lead back if Sanders is out.
Panthers RB Miles Sanders overcame a fumble to post 98 total yards on 22 touches. He lost out on 9 carries and 2 targets to Chuba Hubbard, who posted the more efficient day (6.7 YPC to 4.0). Still, we’re encouraged by Sanders’ use in the passing game, where he finished 2nd on the team in catches. He’ll need improvement from Bryce Young to boost the scoring outlook. But we expect the top pick to improve as he gains experience. Sanders will face a Saints run D that allowed 5.0 YPC to Derrick Henry and Tyjae Spears in the opener.
Panthers RBs Miles Sanders (groin) and Chuba Hubbard (ankle) were on the practice field on Monday, according to The Charlotte Observer's Mike Kaye. Sanders had been out since August 9, while Hubbard hurt his ankle in Friday night's preseason game. Both guys are on track to be ready for the start of the regular season.
Panthers RB Chuba Hubbard injured an ankle in Friday night's preseason game, HC Frank Reich said afterward. Hubbard started that game with RB Miles Sanders out with his groin injury. We'll see when these guys are able to get back on the field. Carolina's healthy RBs are now Raheem Blackshear, Spencer Brown, and rookie Camerun Peoples.
Joe Person of The Athletic says that fantasy football players should "keep an eye" on Panthers WR Laviska Shenault, "who has been getting significant reps in the backfield." We're taking note, because Carolina looks weak at RB behind Miles Sanders. Although Shenault's a WR, he's sturdily built at 6'1, 220 pounds. He has already logged 38 carries through three pro seasons and rushed 40 times over his final two college campaigns. Shenault's varied utility and a Panthers depth chart with questions at both RB and WR at least makes Shenault an interesting pick at the end of best ball drafts. He sits just fifth among Carolina wideouts in our fantasy football WR rankings.
Panthers RB Chuba Hubbard “continued to be plagued by drops” at training camp, per The Athletic’s Joe Person. We’ll see how the preseason usage shakes out. But Person believes the Panthers could use a bigger back to “complement” Miles Sanders, who’s currently dealing with a minor groin injury. We’ll keep an eye on Carolina as a destination for a free-agent RB.
New Panthers RB Miles Sanders is clearly in line to lead the team's rushing after signing the biggest free-agent contract for any RB that switched teams this offseason. HC Frank Reich called him "a three-down back" in June, according to AP. And Sanders said he's excited to reunite with RBs coach Duce Staley, who "knows what I can really do." He certainly seems to be expecting more receiving work. But Sanders' past three years have been pretty terrible in that area. He went from 3.1 receptions per game as a rookie to 2.3, 2.2, and 1.2. And his 10.2 yards per catch fell to 7.0, 6.1, and 3.9. Sanders has also seen his Pro Football Focus pass-blocking grade decline each year. RB Chuba Hubbard doesn't look like a great bet to steal a big role after seeing his work decline in Year 2. RB Raheem Blackshear, however, caught 123 passes at 9.9 yards per catch over a 5-year college career that spanned two stops. There's also room for the Panthers to import a veteran such as Kareem Hunt. Sanders carries some upside from his mid-RB2 position in our fantasy football rankings. Just make sure you don't overrate him simply because you can't see who else in the Carolina backfield would claim significant opportunity share.
The Panthers named Thomas Brown their new OC. The 36-year-old spent the past 3 seasons working under Sean McVay in Los Angeles, serving as RBs coach and then TEs coach. He bounced around the college ranks prior to that, with his only OC experience coming at Miami from 2016 to 2018. Those offenses finished just 54th, 60th and then 105th in total yards per game. The first 2 were pass-centric attacks, while the 3rd shifted toward the run. Brown will be working under offensive-minded HC Frank Reich in Carolina. We'll see who ends up calling the plays. There's a good chance that Brown is working with a rookie QB in 2023. The Panthers hold the 9th overall pick of this spring's draft and only have QBs Matt Corral and Jacob Eason on the roster currently.
Panthers RB D'Onta Foreman racked up 165 yards and a TD on 21 carries in Saturday's whipping of the Lions. RB Chuba Hubbard added 125 yards on 12 carries, and even RB Raheem Blackshear scored among his 3 carries. Carolina gets a rematch with Tampa Bay in week 17. Foreman and Hubbard combined for 181 yards on 24 carries in the 1st meeting. It'll still be tough to trust either member of this inconsistent backfield inside the top 24, but the upside is clear.
The Panthers totaled just 21 rushing yards on 16 carries (1.3 per rush) in Sunday's loss to the Steelers. RB D'Onta Foreman managed just 9 yards on 10 carries, with Chuba Hubbard rushing 4 times for 10 yards. Hubbard made up for it 57 yards on 3 receptions. A 45-yard catch-and-run powered that. Carolina RBs shouldn't factor heavily into your plans vs. Detroit or Tampa Bay the next 2 weeks.
Panthers RB D'Onta Foreman carried 21 times for 74 yards in Sunday's win over the Seahawks. He watched RBs Chuba Hubbard and Raheem Blackshear claim the team's 2 rushing scores, though. Carolina went run-heavy in a game that saw them score the 1st 17 points and never trail. Hubbard finished with a. 14-74-1 rushing line and led the backfield with 3 catches for 25 yards on 3 targets. Blackshear logged 4 carries for 32 yards and 1 catch for 17 yards (on 1 target). Foreman still led the group in playing time but loses some floor if half the work is going elsewhere. Unfortunately for the Panthers, no remaining matchup is nearly as good for RB scoring as Seattle was.
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