The Carolina Panthers are back in a tie for first place in the NFC South.
Bolstered by a balanced offense and a defense that harassed Geno Smith, the Panthers earned a 30-20 victory over the New York Jets on Sunday.
Here's what we learned in Sunday's game:
- The Panthers have to be encouraged by the play of DeAngelo Williams, who has looked better the past two weeks than he has since September. On his 72-yard screen-pass touchdown, Williams blew past linebacker David Harris, who had the angle on him. Williams' 168 yards from scrimmage were 51 more than any game this season.
- Brandon LaFell also had his best game in a couple of months, showing big-play ability, making difficult catches in traffic and springing Williams for the long touchdown with a great block. Since Steve Smith no longer makes plays down the field, the Panthers need LaFell, Williams and Ted Ginn to take the top off defenses.
- Panthers cornerback Captain Munnerlyn had the game of his life. In addition to setting the franchise record with his fifth career pick-six, Munnerlyn recorded a career-high two sacks and his pressure led to another sack for Luke Kuechly. He's been the best player in a secondary that has exceeded expectations for the majority of the season.
- The Jets unveiled rookie defensive end Sheldon Richardson as a goal-line weapon, giving him the ball on back-to-back carries, culminating in a 1-yard touchdown. That sequence called to mind former Bears icon William "The Refrigerator" Perry.
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