lcome back to the 2018 edition of Step UP or Step OUT DJ Moore Panthers Jersey , a series on CSR that is intended to look at players who are playing well and highlight a few that need to step their game up. Think of it as a heat index for the Carolina Panthers; guys who are playing well are stepping up and those who aren’t need to improve their game or. . . step out.This week we’ll look at some guys that really performed quite well before the bye and need to maintain that intensity heading into our week five bout with the New York Giants. The others mentioned, well. . . they need to play better or maybe just step out of the way and let someone else take over.Steppin’ UPChristian McCaffreyHeat Rating: Five Star Grand Theft Auto wanted levelThrough three games this season, no one on offense has made more of a consistent impact than Christian McCaffrey, and that really came to a peak during the game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Run CMC racked up nearly 200 yards from scrimmage, the vast majority of which were rushing yards as opposed to receiving. It was great to see McCaffrey both be used and be effective in a more traditional running back role Limited Christian McCaffrey Jersey , and I would hate to be the Giants staring down the barrel of that particular gun right now.Cam Newton“Drip” level: Trying to sleep surrounded by leaky faucets with half filled bowls beneath themCam Newton continues what has so far been an excellent season under freshman offensive coordinator Norv Turner and his surprisingly tailored offense. I couldn’t imagine coming into this year it would be the defense that draws most of my ire, but here we are. Cam has been more accurate, more poised both in and out of the pocket, and is making good decisions pertaining to when to run it himself, pass it Christian McCaffrey Panthers Jersey , or hand it off. His completion percentage, touted as “the must have stat” by all arm-chair analysts the world over, continues to rise. He is finally “elite.”Efe ObadaHeat Rating: A balmy summer day on the shores of Essex (I assume)Everyone’s favorite new breakout player had himself one hell of a game against the Bengals. He logged a sack, and easily could have two if not for those pesky replay officials, as well as a heads up interception to help throw the game in the bag. Time will tell if Efe can maintain this momentum and show himself to be capable as more than just a speed rush type Elite Christian McCaffrey Jersey , because if the offensive lineman did get his hands on him, he was not very good at disengaging. Still, it’s an encouraging sign to see a guy who has worked so hard to get to where he is have a moment or two of glory.Steppin’ OUTShaq ThompsonCold Rating: A bonfire that has burned down to mostly ashTo be clear, I like Shaq Thompson overall. I think he is going to be a fine player for us for a long time. But after a hot start, his play has cooled in recent weeks Game Christian McCaffrey Jersey , and we’re starting to notice the absence of Thomas Davis more and more. He’s not been a sure tackler in these last couple of contests, and even his coverage has been lacking, supposedly a highlight of his game.Captain MunnerlynCold Rating: Frozen Fish SticksFor a guy who did a lot of talking about his usage during the offseason, he hasn’t done much to inspire confidence that he is a reliable nickel corner. I don’t necessarily see an alternative to him on the roster, or one that I know much about Christian McCaffrey Womens Jersey , but we have seen a lot of third receivers make an impact on his watch. To the naked eye, he seems a few steps slow on his coverage, and it has been glaring with the play of James Bradberry and Donte Jackson really jumping off the screen. Eight short weeks ago the Panthers seemed a lock to make the playoffs."There are a lot of playoff scenarios to sort out going into Week 17. None of them involve the Carolina Panthers. How in the world did this happen? It is more than just Cam Newton’s shoulder injury. It was a combination of things, in all phases of the game both on and off the field. We will have the entire offseason to list them in detail but right now I just want to bitch about this sad state of affairs.We have called them the ‘Cardiac Cats’ for years due to their propensity for makes things close and thrilling. The 2018 season has been something else. Seven grueling losses each this its own formula for failure. It started with a complete blow out in Pittsburgh that may have presented the rest of the league with the formula for how to beat the Panthers. In several of the losses the Panthers had a chance to win at the end but just could not get it done. At some point in the seven game losing streak Newton hurt his shoulder. I’m still not sure when exactly it started. I just know that when in the past the Panthers would make a play to win a game in 2018 no such plays have existed in the back half of the season. In first eight games the Panthers were vintage Cardiac Cats. We first had kicker Graham Gano kick a 63 yard field goal to ruin a Giants come back win. We also had the fourth quarter comeback win against the Eagles. Those wins make this epic collapse that much harder to fathom. In spite of this whirlwind of failure the rumor is both general manager Marty Hurney and head coach Ron Rivera will return. I haven’t been one to call for their firing myself but given the way the season went down in flames in seven short weeks I’m surprised change is not being discussed.The Carolina Panthers should be printing playoff tickets right now but instead they are hoping to not take an eight game losing streak into the playoffs. As a Panthers fan I’m not really used to this. I admittedly have no recollection of the certain seasons but those are few and far between. So here we are watching simply to see a couple of our favorites play their last game. Center Ryan Kalil will be missed. So will defensive end Julius Peppers if he doesn’t return. I hope he does. I think cornerback Captain Munnerlyn has played his last game in electric blue. I have always marveled at how much bigger he played than his frame would suggest. I think linebacker Thomas Davis is not playing his last game and will be back. So how any you feeling Panthers fans?