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Carolina Panthers' offensive triplets earn brutally low ranking from CBS Sports
Dec 22, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard (30) celebrates with quarterback Bryce Young (9) after scoring a touchdown in the first quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

On offense, the trio that matters most for the Carolina Panthers is absolutely Bryce Young, Tetairoa McMillan, and Chuba Hubbard. Young is obviously the starting QB, Hubbard is a borderline Pro Bowl RB, and McMillan is highly likely to become the WR1 pretty soon.

How well does that trio stack up against other teams? Not well at all. According to CBS Sports insider Jared Dubin, they're the 29th-best trio in the NFL, only ahead of the Cleveland Browns, New Orleans Saints, and Indianapolis Colts. The analysis was particularly brutal.

"Young had a resurgence over the second half of last season after briefly being benched in favor of Andy Dalton. After returning to the lineup in Week 8, he ranked 18th in EPA per dropback through the rest of the season, per Tru Media," Dubin said. In particular, Young was significantly better in the final few weeks, but that went unmentioned.

He admitted that while it is a significant improvement, it's still not elite and wasn't enough to sway the panel. They were also not moved by Hubbard, because he "has basically had one good season and two bad ones when actually given a significant number of carries," apparently. Of course, McMillan, while very talented, is a rookie in a less-than-ideal situation.

Perhaps more surprising is a few of the teams ahead, like the Tennessee Titans, New York Giants, and Pittsburgh Steelers. Either way, this is a painful assessment of the Panthers offensive trio. And the offense is supposed to be the much stronger unit in Carolina, so either CBS is dead wrong here or the Panthers are headed for a dismal year yet again.

This article first appeared on Carolina Panthers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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