their speed on a weird day That was one of the dumbest and luckiest games of football I have ever seen the Carolina Panthers play. Let’s make that clear up front. This column isn’t sunshine and roses because a win is a win this week. Captain Colin Jones Replica Christian McCaffrey Jersey , with key assists from DJ Moore and Curtis Samuel, made sure that a punt was not a bad play. Graham Gano kicked lights out, including that game winner that might have taken the lights out at a dome. The rest would be concerning if the Panthers had suffered another conference loss yesterday. Instead, there is hope that the litany of mistakes can merely be instructional.We’ll talk more as the week goes on about how many questionable decisions were made by Norv Turner, Ron Rivera, and Cam Newton against the New York Giants. An octopus on a slip-n-slide could have won a three-legged race more gracefully than the Panthers beat the Giants yesterday. It happens. The NFL is weird and the Cleveland Browns keep taking folks to overtime to remind them just in case they forgot. To harp on the down day for the defense or the uncharacteristic miscommunications between Ian Thomas and Cam that led to two turnovers would do a disservice to the great potential the Panthers demonstrated yesterday.Christian McCaffrey didn’t break the game, but he had a couple of runs that made you hold your breath just in case he did. He has that potential that every fan and coach wants on their team: the run-away speed that can ruin a defense that makes even a single mistake. It’s exciting to watch in a way that even DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart weren’t —not quite— in their primes. He’s a reliable Ted Ginn, Jr.What’s more, the Panthers put the ball in the hands of rookie DJ Moore and second year wide receiver Curtis Samuel with space to move. I held my breath the same way I did for McCaffrey. These kids have the speed we hoped they would. Half the credit for their big plays goes to the Giants for putting on a clinic for poor tackling. Their speed was on full display in that much traffic, though. Imagine what it would look like in the secondary.It’s been a long time since the Panthers have had a player with the home run ability of McCaffrey. I don’t think they have ever had two players in that mold. If all three of these guys work out; if McCaffrey Stitched Christian McCaffrey Jersey , Samuel, and Moore can all earn the trust of the coaches; if they each can force Turner’s hand into giving them significant roles in the game plan week in and week out then the Panthers offense is going to be a show worth watching.Their speed in front of the threat that is Cam Newton is not something that the NFL is made to handle. Devin Funchess can continue to settle into his role as a reliable contributor, a 1b to Greg Olsen’s 1a when he returns (possibly next week!). The Panthers can use those guys to move the chains while pinning safeties impossibly far back in fear of the three actual jungle cats the Panthers have masquerading as offensive skill players. It won’t work out quite that way, of course, but the players are finally there. They could do it.I don’t know if Turner is the right coordinator for that job. I don’t know if Rivera is an aggressive enough coach to even want that kind of ability to chew up yards and score touchdowns. I do know the Panthers flashed the potential for an unstoppable offense yesterday. Weird things happen in the NFL, so I’m happy to give them a pass for this game. For now. We’ll see if they can take advantage of their talent and stop manufacturing these nail biting finishes.That’s how they become relevant in the post season. That’s how 2015 happened. It’s worth it, even if that means no longer having some of the greatest calls of the week, like this one, courtesy of the Spanish language broadcast team: NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Panthers undrafted rookie Kyle Allen turned in a promising first NFL start — until he hurt his shoulder.Whether the New Orleans defense that Allen victimized was entirely dialed in is another matter.Allen passed for 228 yards and two touchdowns before his injury in the fourth quarter, and Carolina cruised to a 33-14 victory over a Saints squad looking ahead to the playoffs.Article continues below ...“It was incredible. I just felt at home right when I got on the field Baby Christian McCaffrey Jersey ,” said Allen, who lost starting roles in college at both Texas A&M and Houston, and who was not on Carolina’s roster for part of this season. “This league is filled with opportunities, and guys that stay in the league for a long time are the guys that take advantage of those.”A third-stringer pressed into service with Cam Newton and backup Taylor Heinicke out, Allen also ran for a short touchdown as Carolina snapped a seven-game slide. He led the Panthers to three TDs and a field goal on their first four drives. His day ended prematurely when he was hit hard by Saints rookie end Marcus Davenport while releasing an incomplete pass. Allen said he felt pain in his right shoulder while throwing on the sideline afterward, but that he did not think the injury was serious.Carolina (7-9) led 23-0 at halftime, marking the first time since coach Sean Payton was hired by New Orleans in 2006 that the Saints (13-3) were shut out at home in a first half.“We can spin it any way we want to. We didn’t play well,” Payton said. “From the get-go, it was obvious. So you take that personally as a coach, and it’s disappointing.”Allen’s touchdowns went for 53 yards to receiver Curtis Samuel and 8 yards to tight end Ian Thomas.Having already clinched the NFC’s top seed Best Christian McCaffrey Jersey , Payton scratched several healthy offensive starters, including record-setting quarterback Drew Brees and dynamic second-year running back Alvin Kamara.By not playing, Brees finished the regular season with an NFL record 74.4 percent completion rate for a single season, breaking the mark of 72 percent he set last season.His replacement for the finale, Teddy Bridgewater, started an NFL game for the first time since the 2015 season. The move gave Bridgewater a chance to rebuild his credentials as a potential NFL starter after missing most of the past two seasons with a career-threating knee injury.“It was a pretty cool moment, just running back out there. It’s been a long time, but I’m grateful for that moment, grateful for that opportunity,” Bridgewater said. “Honestly Adult Christian McCaffrey Jersey , I just wanted to get back into the rhythm of playing football. That was my biggest goal.”Bridgewater completed 14 of 22 passes for 118 yards, one touchdown and one interception.The Panthers scored the game’s first two TDs on Allen’s 1-yard keeper and Cameron Artis-Payne’s 15-yard run, and New Orleans fell behind 30-0 before scoring its first points on Bridgewater’s 9-yard pass to rookie Tre’Quan Smith early in the fourth quarter.Saints third-string QB Taysom Hill added a 9-yard TD on a read-option run.The Saints had little at stake other than the opportunity to secure the franchise’s first 14-win regular season. They’ve gone 13-3 three times, all under Payton in 2009, 2011 and this season. The 2009 team won the Super Bowl.RECEIVING RECORDSaints receiver Michael Thomas came in needing 24 yards to break Joe Horn’s single-season franchise mark of 1,399 yards receiving in 2004. Thomas started, but with the Saints’ offense struggling to sustain drives, it took until the first minute of the fourth quarter before Thomas eclipsed Horn’s mark with a 6-yard catch. The Saints were clearly keeping track; numerous teammates congratulated Thomas right after the catch.“It’s a blessing,” Thomas said. “I feel like I’m going to be judged on my progress year in and year out.”RARE COMPAMYWith his 22-yard reception in the first quarter — his only reception of the game — Christian McCaffrey became the third running back in NFL history to have 1,500 yards rushing and receiving in his first two NFL seasons combined. He joined Kamara and Herschel Walker.INJURIESPanthers: Allen was replaced by newly signed reserve Garrett Gilbert Curtis Samuel Jersey 2019 , who went 2 for 3 for 40 yards.Saints: Versatile offensive lineman Andrus Peat, who normally starts at left guard but also has played both tackle positions this season, left in the first half with a hand injury.UP NEXTPanthers: Start their offseason with questions surrounding the futures of several prominent players, including linebacker Thomas Davis, safety Mike Adams and receiver Devin Funchess, who have expiring contracts. Center Ryan Kalil already said he’d retire after the season and coach Ron Rivera said he was “assuming” the 38-year-old Peppers would, too.Sunday’s victory, Rivera said, “was probably the best way to send Ryan and Pepp off on their way — two great Panthers.”Saints: Host their playoff opener in the divisional round on the weekend of Jan. 12-13.