Eric Reid – Important
S Eric Reid took a knee during the playing of the national anthem prior to Sunday’s game against the New York Giants. Reid, who signed a one-year contract with the Panthers last week, claimed at the beginning of the offseason that he wasn’t receiving interest from teams due to his decision to kneel during the national anthem. He was the first player to kneel alongside former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick as a means to protest racial inequality and police brutality. No Panthers player joined Reid in the demonstration on Sunday. In fact, no Panthers player had ever kneeled, although defensive end Julius Peppers stayed in the locker room the week after comments by President Donald Trump last year.
Graham Gano – Noteworthy
K Graham Gano kicked three field goals, including a game-winning 63-yarder in Sunday’s 33-31 win over the Giants. It was Gano’s sixth career-winning game field goal and set a team record for distance. It also was the second-longest field goal in NFL history. Gano has made his last 36 field goals at home dating back to Oct. 10, 2016.
Cam Newton – Noteworthy
QB Cam Newton was 21-of-35 for 237 yards with two touchdowns in Sunday’s 33-31 win over the Giants. Newton also ran for 29 yards, giving him 4,485 rushing yards. It is the most by a quarterback with a single team, surpassing the 4,482 Randall Cunningham had with Philadelphia.
Mike Adams – Noteworthy
S Mike Adams intercepted two passes in Sunday’s win over the Giants. It was his fifth career game with at least two interceptions. Since 2014, his 16 interceptions are tied for the third-most in the NFL.