“I know Tyrann wasn’t fixing to hit me up top,” Sanders admitted, “When you look at DBs in this league, (tight ends) probably got like four to five inches on them, probably 50 to 60 pounds on them, that’s not a matchup they going to win, trying to hit us up top.
“They like to take out our knees, take out our ankles, and I was kind of feeling myself after that first one.”
The “first one” was a play in the second quarter when Sanders won a 50/50 ball over a safety for 15 yards. The Panthers offense punted on the drive, but as Sanders explained after the game, it established a bit more trust between him and his QB.
That led to the screen on the second play of the third quarter, which featured the hurdle and the truck later in the play for 46 yards.
“It was just a great effort play,” coach Dave Canales praised after the win. “He took care of the ball too. You know, in those situations, a lot of times the ball can be in peril, but he kept it high and tight, and that’s what we’re asking him to do.”
Later in the drive, Young found Sanders over the middle for a 21-yard pick up on third-and-4, moving the Panthers in to the red zone. Chuba Hubbard capped the drive with a touchdown to make it 17-13 at the time.