Panthers' quarterback situation, playoff hopes cloudier than ever:
The only member of the Carolina Panthers to attend Colin Kaepernick's workout on Saturday in Atlanta was safety Eric Reid, and that was out of support for his former San Francisco 49ers teammate. Perhaps general manager Marty Hurney or another member of the scouting staff should have attended, as well. Not to suggest Kaepernick could make a difference for the Panthers this season, but one has to wonder why the organization didn't at least attend the workout as potential insurance for the future. The future of Carolina's quarterback situation became murkier than ever on Sunday at Bank of America Stadium as Kyle Allen self-destructed in a 29-3 loss to the Atlanta Falcons that put the team's playoff hopes on life support. The second-year, undrafted player added a fourth pick in the second half and has nine interceptions in the past four games. He had none during a 4-0 start after taking over for Cam Newton.
Troubling trend:
Duh. Interceptions for Allen. He had three in a loss to San Francisco and one each the past two weeks before throwing four more against the Falcons. The pick and fumble last week against Green Bay, as Allen admitted, cost the Panthers a shot to win. The first-half picks today were just as costly.
QB Breakdown:
This feels like piling on, but in this case, Allen deserves it. As he did in the loss to San Francisco, he tried to do too much Sunday. Instead of simply getting the ball into the hands of his playmakers such as Christain McCaffrey, he forced passes. His first-half interception in the end zone after he stepped up in the pocket and had plenty of room to run was just about as bad as the one he had against Green Bay in the same situation.