Tetairoa McMillan is Carolina’s No. 1 receiver. Jalen Coker is playing like one
Jalen Coker’s Sunday performance may not have been enough to give the Panthers to the 60 points they needed to knock off the Bears, but it says plenty about the success of the third-year receiver.
Read more Fact check: NC Senate candidates Woodson Bradley, Stacie McGinn on data centers
Coker caught eight passes on Sunday for 138 yards and two touchdowns in Chicago’s 59-37 win over Carolina in Week 1. For yardage, it was a career high.
His previous yardage high? It was Carolina’s wild-card playoff loss to the Rams to end last season, when he had 134 yards.
Although Tetairoa McMillan is considered the Panthers’ top wide receiver, he has not contributed as much as expected in the last two games. On Sunday, McMillan hauled in five receptions for 75 yards, almost identical to his playoff performance of five receptions for 81 yards. He also lost a fumble against the Bears, one of three Carolina turnovers.
Over the Panthers’ last two games, Coker has been the most productive receiver.
For Bryce Young, Coker’s big day is a product of him doing “the same thing he has been doing.”
“He does a great job creating separation after the catch, a lot of stuff that doesn’t show up on the stat sheet that he did a great job in,” Young said. “Run game and setting stuff up.”
Of course, that means little when even Coker’s career-high performance was not enough for the Panthers’ faltering defense, which gave up a franchise record 59 points. But 37 offensive points is nothing to be ashamed of in the NFL.
“Another selfless guy,” captain and running back Chuba Hubbard said of Coker. “Works his butt off. Works his tail off. Coker is a great player.”
But both players were quick to say that personal accomplishments mean little in the context of such a beatdown.
Read more Carolina Panthers claim Bryce Young’s great day ‘doesn’t matter.’ Why it should
“Personally it’s great,” Coker said, “but I want to win.”
It’s a sentiment that echoed all around the Panthers’ locker room on Sunday afternoon, which Coker said is proof positive of the team’s culture.
“I don’t think anyone on this team is gonna make it all about themselves,” he said. “You know, it’s always gonna be team, team, team, team. Always. And I think that’s what’s gonna propel us going forward.”
What can certainly propel the team is continued production from Coker and Bryce Young (361 passing yards). Coker and his quarterback, who have been fine-tuning their chemistry for three years now, looked better than ever Sunday.
“I think we’ve always been in good rapport,” Coker said. “He throws it to me, it’s my job to catch the ball. So that’s what I try to do.”
Of course, it will take more than just Young and Coker to win games if the defense continues to struggle. But with Carolina’s 37 points, the Panthers saw plenty of good, including strong rushing from a healthy Hubbard (two TDs) and meaningful receptions from McMillan and tight end Tommy Tremble.
“I think we did a lot of good things,” Coker said. “I felt like we caught the ball well, rushed well. I think it’s just small, basic things that we need to work on.”
Ironing those small wrinkles out, whatever they prove to be, is certainly important. But it is hard to say any of those imperfections are truly what let them down.
Read more NC State ran over Richmond. How can the Wolfpack do the same at Vanderbilt?
One needs only to look at the scoreboard — the Chicago side — to know that.
