Three takeaways from Carolina’s loss to Buffalo

Lone bright spots

With Graham Gano resting again, Joey Slye stepped up and made both of his field goal attempts that actually counted (a miss slightly to the right on a 58-yarder was nullified by a penalty), with his makes coming from 40 and 54 yards, the latter of which probably would’ve been good from around 60. Even though he was a late pickup, Slye appears to have been a good one who the team would be very comfortable with if Gano was to unexpectedly miss any more time.

In limited opportunities, the running backs competing to be McCaffrey’s backup also showed flashes of promise. After sitting out last week to injury, fifth round pick Jordan Scarlett led the team with eight carries for 35 yards and added a reception for 14 yards. Reggie Bonnafon also had another solid game as he showcased his versatility, leading the team with four catches for 32 yards with three carries for 15 yards and a two-point conversion on the ground while also getting some special teams reps. Elijah Holyfield had the least opportunities of those three this game, totaling three carries for 17 yards and three catches for seven yards.

It appears Scarlett and Bonnafon are currently in the lead for that job and could ultimately make veteran Cameron Artis-Payne’s roster spot obsolete if they continue to put up strong performances, while Holyfield seems like he’s in good position for a spot on the practice squad.