When unproven backup quarterbacks play at any level, generally the prevailing strategy is to put them in situations that are easy where they don’t have the chance to make major mistakes and lose the game.
It’s all about game management and playing it safe.
But when you have a quarterback as pinpoint accurate as Kyle Allen, there’s no need to play it guarded, and the Carolina Panthers didn’t.
Allen, playing in just his second-career game, made precise throw after precise throw on his way to four touchdown passes to lead the Panthers to the much needed 38-20 victory against Arizona (0-2-1) in his hometown of Phoenix.
“It’s special coming home, but it’s special to get it in the win column this year,” said Allen, who gave all the credit to his teammates and acted like the game was totally expected.
While Allen may not have been surprised by the outcome, it’s fair to say most media and fans, alike, were, especially with his ability to make star-like passes.
It seemed nearly every throw was perfect, even the few that were incomplete. Allen made some throws while on a dead run that the likes of Aaron Rodgers would be proud of. It all led to 19-of-26 passing for 261 yards and an insane 144.4 quarterback rating.
The last time a Panthers quarterback had a rating that high was when normal starter Cam Newton had a 153.3 rating on Dec. 13, 2015, in a 38-0 win against Atlanta.
“Here’s a guy that really keeps his composure,” Carolina head coach Ron Rivera said of Allen. “He understands, he’s smart and he’s got a good football mind, and he reacted that way, and that’s why he made the play that he did.”
Allen, who went undrafted and signed with the Panthers (1-2) near the end of last season, said each time he breaks the huddle, he goes through the same routine to get himself calm and ready for the play.
“I kept telling myself this: Have a plan when you come to the line of scrimmage every play and don’t make it more difficult than it needs to be,” he said. “I literally talk out loud and I tell myself: Have a plan, have a plan, have a plan. You don’t need to need to make it more difficult than it needs to be. … It is a little bit meditative.”
Three of the more incredible throws he made came while on the run. The first one came while sprinting to his right and hitting Curtis Samuel right in the middle of the numbers as he stood in the right corner of the end zone.
Another one came on the first play of the fourth quarter, as he once again scrambled to his right and threw a perfect pass to D.J. Moore on the right sideline. Moore did a nice job of keeping both feet in bounds to set up a 1st-and-goal at the 3 and soon after another spectacular pass by Allen.
On 3rd-and-goal, Allen was falling backward while trying to avoid a sack and perfectly hit tight end Greg Olsen in the back on the end zone for a touchdown. It couldn’t have been a better location of the pass even if Allen had actually walked to Olsen and handed him the ball.
Considering the circumstances, it was a very special pass.
“I’m just doing my job and playing football,” Allen said humbly.
However, lest we forget the long pass where Allen once again had a precise throw that hit Moore 18 yards downfield, allowing him to streak for a total of 52 yards for a touchdown in the final minute of the first half.
It was truly a thing of beauty.
“I was just happy that I could hit him in stride and get him going,” Allen said. “And he just took off and does what D.J. does, he makes plays when the ball’s in his hands.”
With Allen’s performance, there’s now no need to rush Newton back from his strained left foot. But make no mistake, no matter what Allen does between now and when Newton is healthy, Newton will be the starter.
“He’s our quarterback and he’s who we rely on,” Rivera said of Newton, who has lost eight straight games as the starter. “But for now, we’re going to stick with Kyle, and we’ll keep rolling and see how things unfold as we go forward.”