Over four seasons with the New York Jets (62 games), Robby Anderson topped 90 yards 11 times with a total of eight 100-yard games. In four games with the Carolina Panthers thus far, he had topped 90 yards three times with two 100-yard games.

With the Jets, Anderson was easy to pigeonhole as a boom-or-bust deep threat. Lackluster quarterback play was not helpful of course, but he did manage at least 50 catches, more than 750 yards and at least five touchdowns in three straight seasons (2017-2019).

Anderson signed with the Panthers in free agency, reuniting with his college coach Matt Rhule. That piece of the equation is surely helpful, as is the offense Joe Brady brought with him to Carolina.

Our own Casey Sully took a deep dive into how Brady has taken the Panthers offense to a new level. In particular, Brady’s “make the defense defend every blade of grass” idea has played to the strengths of quarterback Teddy Bridgewater by testing the defense horizontally.

The Evolution of Robby Anderson

The first clip in Afseth’s piece shows Anderson running a shallow cross and doing some damage after the catch. Pro Football Reference’s data for 2018 and 2019 shows Anderson averaged 3.7 yards after the catch in each of those seasons with average depth of targets of 15.7 (2018) and 14.6 yards (2019).

So far this year, Anderson’s average depth of target is 9.1 with an average yards after the catch of 6.9. Even accounting for better offensive design, a fuller route tree and a more functional quarterback, his jump in catch rate (82.4 percent thus far in 2020; 54.2 percent last year with the Jets) is noticeable.

Anderson is leading the Panthers in target share through four games (24.8 percent). He also has five red zone targets, matching his number of red zone looks he had all of last season with the Jets in 16 games. Anderson has never had more than 10 red zone targets in a season (10 in 2017; 9 in 2019). Turns out a guy who stands 6-foot-3 and moves well can be more than a vertical threat. Who knew?

Following the path of Ryan Tannehill, Kenyan Drake and others I’m surely forgetting, Anderson looks like the latest example of a player unlocked by getting away from Adam Gase.