It has not been the season anyone envisioned for Carolina Panthers RB Chuba Hubbard. A near Pro Bowl running back last year, he struggled, got hurt, struggled some more, and ceded his RB1 job to Rico Dowdle. But lately, he’s looked like the Hubbard of old.
And on Sunday, at a pretty crucial point early in the game, Hubbard made the biggest play he’s made all season. He caught a swing screen on third and long and ran through the defense to tie the score.
Panthers answer with a Chuba Hubbard touchdown
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It became clear on the opening drive for the Los Angeles Rams that any chance of an iupset is likely to rest on the offense’s shoulders, which is bad news after last week. But early on, it looks like they’re up to the task thanks in no small part to Hubbard.
Hubbard has gotten a lot of touches even with Dowdle being the starter, and he’s done well with them. He’s averaging five yards per carry (15 total) and has that 35-yard touchdown catch. It’s shaping up to be a resurgence for the back.
This is especially key because it happened on that swing pass. Last week, the Panthers shot themselves in the foot offensively over and over in the red zone, including on an utterly disastrous screen to Hubbard on third-and-goal.
That time, Hubbard had two men to beat after Ja’Tavion Sanders whiffed his block, and he went backwards. This time, everyone blocked, and he scored. The defense is reeling with injuries, so it’s going to come down to plays like that if the Panthers are going to have any shot.
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