In football, even the most trivial of colloquialisms can take on a very real meaning. And for the Michigan Panthers, this season’s mantra might already be taking shape: next man up.
To give a cursory review of the events leading into the Panthers home matchup on Sunday with the San Antonio Brahmas, Michigan would lose more than a stranglehold on first place in the conference after their 21-12 defeat against the Birmingham Stallions – they would also lose two standout playmakers in DE Breeland Speaks and RB Matthew Colburn, with both getting placed on IR earlier in the week.
Then, on Monday, news broke of the massive trade that would send Panthers All-UFL wide receiver Marcus Simms to Houston in exchange for OT Cam Carter. Only two weeks in and Michigan was making arguably the biggest gambit of the season by any team – that their remaining skill position talent, none of whom possess the pedigree Simms brought to the team, was up to the task ahead while Mike Nolan and his staff attempt to bolster the offensive line.
From that vantage, the Panthers welcoming the reeling 0-2 Brahmas was a potential litmus test for how optimistic fans should be that the organization is up to this ambitious task.
It didn’t start out pretty. Michigan would give Danny Etling the starting role at quarterback, with the Indiana native looking to put together his first complete showing of the year after suffering a nasty hit in Week 1. Unfortunately, history has a way of repeating itself. On the Panthers’ second possession of the game, Etling would roll out of the pocket at midfield to make a 13-yard connection with tight end Cole Hikutini, but on the release, Etling would eat a Brahma-sized elbow from San Antonio safety Jordan Mosley. Before it even had a chance to take off, Danny’s day was done, and the familiar presence of Bryce Perkins would return under center.
The Panthers’ woes didn’t stop there. For most of the first half, the team struggled to operate as a conventional offensive, be it throwing from the pocket or producing meaningful yards running through the gaps. Nate McCrary, the man who many would see as the most likely benefactor of Colburn’s IR status, would end the game with only 14 rushing yards on seven carries. And while Michigan struggled to find their footing in the early goings, the Brahmas hit three field goals to score 9 unanswered points. And while it started to look like Panthers fans could be in line for a re-run of last week’s stumble, the first piece of the home side’s comeback began to take shape.
Michigan defenders attempt to tackle the San Antonio ball carrier. (Tony Patroske/TPM)
Devin Ross, who muffed a crucial kick return against Birmingham in the fourth quarter – all but ending any hopes of a comeback in last week’s affair, stepped up big to give Michigan’s offense an advantage in field position throughout the afternoon. After averaging less than 20 yards per return for 101 yards against the Stallions, Ross doubled his output on special teams, producing 212 total yards on six returns. The agile receiver also made his presence felt in the passing game for the first time this season, hauling in three catches for 51 yards.
Staring down a 9-point deficit in the late stages of the first half, the Panthers would find their rhythm on offense the same way they did in Week 1 against Memphis: by taking advantage of Bryce Perkins’ athleticism and ability to create conversions when the play breaks down. Perkins is not an elite pocket passer by any means, but he has the ability to make Michigan three-dimensional in the way they can attack opposing defenses – and that’s not including his unmistakable penchant for leaping over defenders ‘300’ style when he fights for additional yardage as a runner. Mainly operating out of shotgun formation, Perkins’ first assignment is to get the secondary on their toes by attacking the outside and over the top, and he found his new best friend in that department on Sunday. Enter Malik Turner.
Turner, whose playing career in the NFL was mostly spent in Seattle and Dallas, signed with the Panthers this season. And according to his new head coach, knowing what the seasoned vet is capable of played a big role in Michigan’s willingness to move on from Marcus Simms.
“He’s very impressive, very confident. He commands the position,” head coach Mike Nolan told the media postgame. “He’s hard to cover, but he’s also very hard to tackle. Makes good decisions. He’s extremely competitive – we’re very fortunate to have him on our squad.”
Turner certainly put his toughness and dependability on display in the win over San Antonio. After ending the first half with ten unanswered points to take a narrow lead at halftime, the Panthers’ offense returned to the field to start the second half, and Turner’s 6’2, 200 lb frame made two massive catches – each of which came over the top and drew a thunderous hit by a barreling defensive back, to give the Panthers 30 yards on the drive. Another pass to Turner was called back by an ineligible man downfield call – but the veteran pass catcher’s contribution was enough to set Michigan up at the 2 yard line, where Perkins would work his magic to run in their second touchdown of the day.
It wasn’t a flawless showing by Perkins, far from it. With the game seemingly wrapped in a nicely tied bow, Bryce led the Panthers into the red zone with an 8-point lead and less than six minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. But an errant throw would get picked off at the San Antonio 15 by Brahmas linebacker Jordan Williams – who returned the interception 85 yards for the pick-six. The Panthers would get called for defensive pass interference on the 2-point conversion, moving the attempt from the 5 yard line to the one.
One rushing attempt by Jashaun Corbin later, and San Antonio had pulled off a comeback of their own, drawing even with the Panthers with under five minutes remaining.
So we’ve covered the resurgence of Ross, Perkins and the coming out party for Malik Turner. But there was one more element, arguably more significant than any other contribution, that ultimately got the Panthers over the hump against a very game Brahmas side that was eager to bounce back from their early-season slump.
For any question about where the ceiling is for Michigan at this point in the season, they’re still a team that understands the importance of handling the basics – and that means not shooting yourself in the foot with costly penalties. On Sunday at Ford Field, that edge was enough to get them by San Antonio, albeit by the skin of their teeth. The Panthers would end the day with five penalties for 24 yards – mainly of the ‘lesser infraction’ variety, while the Brahmas would give up eleven penalties for 103 yards, with many of them making a meaningful impact on field position.
Ultimately, despite a few costly moments of shooting themselves in the foot, the Brahmas had their chance to push the game into overtime. But a missed field goal by Donald De La Haye (who went 3-for-4 on the day) from 53 yards in the closing moments of regulation would cost San Antonio any hopes of adding its first notch in the win column this season.
After the team’s 26-23 win (their first at home this season), Panthers DT Garrett Marino and RB Jaden Shirden – the latter of whom had arguably the biggest play of the day with his 43-yard touchdown run in the second half – addressed how the team adjusts to the mounting injuries that have plagued them thus far.
“Obviously, losing a Defensive Player of the Year last year is hard,” Marino told the media, addressing how the defense responded to the loss of Breeland Speaks. “But we’ve got guys that are ready to go. I didn’t see a difference. It’s just the next man up.”
Final. Michigan Panthers 26, San Antonio Brahmas 23
