Kyle Allen has brought the Panthers back from the dead

Kyle Allen isn’t a better quarterback than Cam Newton. But a healthy Allen has been far better than an injured Newton for the Panthers this season. 

The Panthers are 0-2 this season when Cam Newton starts at quarterback. In sharp contrast, they are 2-0 when Kyle Allen leads the offense. That doesn’t mean Allen is the better signal caller, but it does mean that he’s put his team right back into playoff contention.

At worst, the Panthers will finish Week 4 one game behind the Saints in the NFC South. If New Orleans fails to defeat the Cowboys at home, then Carolina will find themselves tied for the division lead. That’s a great position when you consider how things looked for Ron Rivera in company after they lost their starting quarterback and their second home game of the season to Tampa Bay in Week 2.

Allen certainly wasn’t perfect in his team’s 16-10 win over the Texans. He lost three fumbles against Houston’s front that could have proved very costly to the Panthers’ hopes of securing the road victory. Fortunately, he was much better throwing the football. Allen finished the day 24 of 34 for 234 yards. Those aren’t outrageous numbers on the surface, but a deeper look at how he got there provides a big clue why the Panthers offense has been successful with him at the helm.

Four receivers got at least three passes from Allen on the day. Christian McCaffrey led the group with 10 catches for 86 yards, but the targets for the rest of the team’s receiving corps were spread out evenly. Jarius Wright caught five balls and both DJ Moore and Curtis Samuel reeled in three passes a piece. Allen’s ability to keep the Texans defense guessing by throwing the ball to multiple receivers was a big reason why the Panthers escaped Houston with a valuable win.

The differences between the way Allen and Newton both play the quarterback position are both obvious and numerous. When Newton is on the field he is unquestionably the focal point of the Carolina offense. Instead, Allen operates the unit as a piece of the puzzle. In a sense, the Panthers offense is much more democratic with Allen at the controls.

Time will tell whether or not Allen can continue his accurate passing for the entire season. There’s no solid sense of when Newton will return, so it’s safe to assume the backup is going to get a solid string of starts. If Carolina does manage to get themselves back into playoff contention, the franchise will owe Allen a big debt of gratitude. He’s exceeded all expectations as the team’s backup quarterback to date.

For all your football needs, check out the FanSided NFL hub.