Laviska Shenault Jr. had gone too long without a touchdown, but his recent catch-and-run down the sideline during the Panthers' 25-15 victory over the Atlanta Falcons felt similar to the one he scored during a win against the New Orleans Saints in Week 3, albeit a little shorter.
Shenault's 41-yard breakaway led to his second touchdown as a Carolina Panther, marking the first rushing touchdown of his career as the pass from PJ Walker was behind the line of scrimmage.
Shenault praised the excellent perimeter blocking from wide receivers DJ Moore and Terrace Marshall Jr., who opened a path for him along the sideline.
“I was just blocking for my teammate so he can make a play," Marshall said. "That's the goal, to get the win, so just doing what I can to get the ball in our hands and help our team get in."
Against the Falcons, Shenault caught three of his four targets for 17 yards and had two rushes for 42 yards. He tied his previous high of five touches from the last time Carolina played Atlanta but was much more productive this time around.
According to interim coach Steve Wilks, Shenault's excellent performance was vital, and his success also relied on the great perimeter blocking from the team's receivers.
“(Shenault makes) a big difference,” interim coach Steve Wilks said. “I think you can go back to the Saints game, was pretty much identical to what he did tonight…one thing we don’t talk about is the great perimeter blocking on the outside. Receivers did a great job in blocking and giving him an avenue to be able to get to the end zone.”
With three victories under their belt and the NFC South race wide open, Shenault believes in Wilks' message of winning every day and building on their successes.
“You’ve got to stack on it,” Shenault said. “We ended today with a win. We’ve got to keep stacking them.”
Shenault also plans to keep stacking his touchdowns as well. When asked if he would find the end zone more times this season, Shenault was confident in his ability.
“Oh yeah, oh yeah,” Shenault said. “I’m a receiver, I’ve got to”.
