4.) Run Game Gone

 

You can second-guess general Dave Gettleman for plenty right now, but perhaps his most perplexing move was putting so many eggs into the Jonathan Stewart basket.

As evidenced by last year’s trip to Atlanta and the second half of the Super Bowl, the Panthers’ offense is often too dependent on having a healthy Stewart. And with his injury history, you’d think the Panthers would take out a better insurance policy.

Cameron Artis-Payne isn’t a lead back, at least not the kind a run-first offense needs. In his two starts since Stewart strained his hamstring, Artis-Payne’s managed to gain just 59 yards on 18 carries. To be fair, the Panthers abandoned the run early in each of those games, but opposing defenses aren’t nearly as threatened by Artis-Payne as they are by Stewart.

Carolina’s 49 rushing yards Sunday snapped its NFL-best 30-game streak with 100-plus rushing yards, but it’s not like No. 30 was all that easy. The Panthers needed a late, 11-yard scramble by quarterback Cam Newton to hit the century mark last week.

So blame the defense, Newton, play-calling, whatever. Everything and everyone has a hand in this 1-3 start. But the Panthers can’t be what they need to be if they don’t have a lead back who can help establish a ground game.

“When you play a team like this where (the run game is how) they want to dominate you,” Falcons defensive end Dwight Freeney said, “if you can stop that, then you can have this type of outcome.”

 

5. ) A Division of Dreadful Defenses

 

This probably won’t help the NFC South gain back some of the respect it’s been missing over the past few years:

Most points allowed through Week 4

 

• 28th Panthers (29.5/game)
• 29th Falcons (31.0/game)
• 30th Colts (31.2/game)
• 31st Bucs (32.0/game)
• 32nd Saints (32.5/game)

 

But at least the division’s games are fun to watch, right? Right!?!

 

 

6.) Health Watch

 

Even though there’s no telling how long he’ll be in the protocol, you can expect Cam Concussion Watch to begin in earnest as soon as Monday morning.

Other notable injuries from Sunday:

• Linebacker Thomas Davis limped off the field early in the third quarter, and after trainers had worked on his left knee, he returned to the game. He later left for good late in the third with what was announced as a hamstring injury.

• Receiver Devin Funchess injured a toe on his right foot late in the fourth quarter.

• Cornerback James Bradberry also injured a toe when he stubbed it on the back of Julio Jones’s foot during the Falcons’ first touchdown drive. Jones goes off for 300 yards and I’m just now bringing him up? Well, there’s plenty about his day here here here here and here. Meanwhile, Bradberry didn’t seem too concerned about his injury afterward. “They pretty much told me nothing was wrong with it,” he said when asked how serious it may be.