Having placed Cam Newton on injured reserve, the Carolina Panthers and Ron Rivera turned the reins to rookie signal caller Kyle Allen. Come Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons, the team failed to find the end zone. Allen tossed a career-high four interceptions. He has now thrown at least one interception in each of his last four games.
Head coach Ron Rivera commented after the team's 29-3 loss to the Falcons that he believed Allen's performance was a definition of “growing pains” as it pertains to the 23-year-old. He also cited his quarterback's poor decision making and lack of protection as explanations behind the team's lethargic offensive effort. Kyle Allen ultimately finished 31-for-50 through the air with a career-high 325 passing yards under his belt. The effort marks his second consecutive game having exceeded the 300-yard plateau.
Ron Rivera calls Kyle Allen’s issues today, based in poor decision-making and not as much protection as they would’ve liked, “growing pains” from a young quarterback. He says team will live with his growing pains because that’s what football is about.
— Jourdan Rodrigue (@JourdanRodrigue) November 17, 2019
Having started eight games this season for Carolina, Kyle Allen has fallen to 5-3 after having won the first four starts of his professional career. Sunday's loss to the Falcons marked his first time scuffling in front of his home crowd.
He will be back under center next weekend when the team travels for a crucial divisional matchup against the New Orleans Saints. The first start of Allen's career came last season at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome and he delivered a two-touchdown, zero-interception showing in a victory. With Carolina still firmly entrenched in the NFC playoff hunt, they will need Allen to elevate his levels of play past those growing pains over the final six weeks.
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