Sir Purr
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- Mar 16, 2019
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It was also a great throw, the best of the day from quarterback Kyle Allen, who was out of sync most of the game and fumbled all three times he was sacked.
“Ball security, obviously, was unacceptable by me. Put our team in some bad positions,” admitted Allen, who’s lost four fumbles in his two games in place of Newton this season.
“I’ve got to have two hands on the ball all week this week. I haven’t played in a lot of games, but I need to get those reps. I need to get those reps with ball security, because it’s crucial to our team. I can’t put our team in that position. Having three turnovers by one player is not going to win many games.”
But what sure helped Allen and the offense was a workhorse like Christian McCaffrey, who finished off that late-second quarter drive with a short score, and a veteran like the 29-year-old Wright.
“He’s the ‘OG’ in the (receivers) room. He’s the oldest dude. He’s the vet. He understands. He’s savvy,” Allen said. “He doesn’t get as much press as the other guys in that room, but when you need J, he’s always there.”
Added head coach Ron Rivera:
“He’s where he needs to be, and I think that’s very comforting when you know there’s a guy where he’s supposed to be. Very similar to what Greg (Olsen) does for you as well. You’ve got to have those guys and you’ve got to have that guy that Kyle can get the ball to.”
Which is what happened again on the Panthers’ clock-eating final drive.
Facing a third-and-6 from the Houston 29-yard line, Allen had three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt charging at him a moment after the ball was snapped. But Allen ducked under Watt and lofted a pass where he knew Wright would be.
“When I came off the ball, (outside linebacker Whitney Mercilus) just smacked me in my face, so I didn’t see nothing until I got upfield,” Wright said. “All I see is Kyle coming out of that J.J. Watt sack. Then I start (throwing my hands up) like, ‘I’m open! I’m open!’ He knew where I was and got the ball out.”