“Thieves Ave.” May Be Back in Business
During their Super Bowl run three years ago, the Panthers’ ball-hawking secondary became known as “Thieves Ave.” Carolina led the league in takeaways that season.
If the Panthers continue to take the ball away the way they did on Sunday, they will again find themselves near the top of the NFL in that category. Rookie cornerback Donte Jackson had two interceptions against the Bengals, while Luke Kuechly and Efe Obada added picks for Carolina.
If you haven’t heard Obada’s story, it is certainly worth your time. The 6-foot-6, 265-yard defensive end also recorded a sack in his first NFL game, one of two for the Panthers.
But it was also quite appropriate that Andy Dalton’s final pass ended up in the arms of Kuechly, unquestionably the leader of the Panthers’ defense. After exiting midway through the fourth quarter due to dehydration, he returned to make one final mark on the game.
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