love , Plays to love, plays to hate (aka “P2L, P2H”) looks at the most significant plays in swinging momentum and impacting the eventual outcome of the game. There is always plenty to hate about NFL officiating, so we will only focus on the plays on the field, not the refs.Three plays to love2nd Quarter 0:45 – Panthers 7, Cowboys 0. Panthers ball 2nd-and-17 at DAL 31The Situation: The Panthers were driving late in the second quarter, looking to add to their lead heading into halftime. The Play: Christian McCaffrey caught a swing pass in the left flat behind the line of scrimmage. Sean Lee came untouched and drew a bead on CMC for what looked like a sure loss on the play. McCaffrey caught the ball and juked Lee, leaving him grasping at air. CMC then motored down the sideline for a 14-yard gain to the Dallas 17 to set up a field goal to go up 10-0 at the half. Without McCaffrey’s elusiveness, the Panthers would have faced 3rd-and-20 from the Dallas 34 and a field goal becomes much more difficult. 4th Quarter 3:19 – Panthers 16 , Cowboys 8. Cowboys ball 1st-and-10 at CAR 48The Situation: Dallas had narrowed the Panthers lead to eight points late in the game. The Cowboys up-tempo fourth quarter attack had put Carolina’s defense on its heels. Dallas had crossed midfield looking to tie the game and the Panthers defense needed a big play. The Play: Kawann Short burst through the line and sacked Dak Prescott for an eight yard sack to force 2nd-and-18. The Cowboys could never get out of the hole and punted three plays later. The Dallas offense had tons of momentum before KK’s drive-killing play. 4th Quarter 1:39 – Panthers 16, Cowboys 8. Cowboys ball 3rd-and-7 at DAL 23The Situation: With less than two minutes left, Dallas had one last gasp to score a late touchdown and tie the game with a two-point conversion. The Play: Dak Prescott felt pressure and rolled left. Mario Addison pursued him across the field and strip-sacked Prescott from behind. Captain Munnerlyn recovered the fumble, thus ending the game. Addison never quit and came up with a massively clutch play. Three plays to hate1st Quarter 6:42 – Panthers 0, Cowboys 0. Panthers ball 3rd-and-2 at DAL 5The Situation: The Panthers offense sustained a long drive on their first possession of the season. With the ball at the five yard line, it felt like a touchdown was inevitable. The Play: Christian McCaffrey took a handoff up the middle, got stripped, and lost the fumble. CMC’s turnover took at least three points off the board in a game when the Panthers struggled to score. 4th Quarter 14:16 – Panthers 16, Cowboys 0. Panthers ball , extra point attemptThe Situation: Alex Armah’s touchdown to begin the fourth quarter should have put the Panthers up by three scores at 17-0, but then Amini happened. The Play: Amini Silatolu lined up next to long snapper J.J. Jansen. As Jansen went to snap the ball, Silatolu stuck his foot right in the ball’s path, tipping the snap and botching the extra point. The Panthers now only led by two scores at 16-0.4th Quarter 3:23 – Panthers 16, Cowboys 8. Cowboys ball 2nd-and-15 at DAL 47The Situation: The Cowboys hurry-up offense was very effective in the fourth quarter as Dallas looked for a game-tying score late in the fourth quarter. The Play: Dak Prescott’s pass on 2nd-and-15 fell incomplete which should have forced a difficult 3rd-and-15 near midfield, but Mike Adams was flagged for an demoralizing illegal contact penalty. The penalty gave Dallas a fresh set of downs at the Carolina 48 as an exhausted Panthers front four tried to catch its breath.Closing it out and summing It upThe Panthers are 1-0 thanks in large part to an absolutely dominant performance by the front seven. Cam was a dual-threat beast with big runs and some perfect throws through tiny windows. The “new guys” on offense had a nice sequence leading to a second quarter field goal with two nice runs by C.J. Anderson for 13 yards, two receptions by Jarius Wright for 18 yards, and a 15-yard grab by Torrey Smith. Wright looks like he might be this year’s Jerricho Cotchery. With continued solid blocking from Taylor Moton, this offense just might click. The concerns are obviously the injuries to Greg Olsen and Daryl Williams. Luke Kuechly even got dinged up at one point. The offensive line was fair but had some minor issues , including plays on the same drive in the fourth quarter when Taylor Moton was flagged for a 15-yard chop block and Amini Silatolu released Demarcus Lawrence for a sack. But, hey, 1-0 baby!Plays to love season leaders1 - Christian McCaffrey, Kawann Short, Mario AddisonPlays to hate season leaders1 - Amini Silatolu, Christian McCaffrey, Mike AdamsCarolina Panthers 2018 roster cut down bubble watch Here’s the players currently on the bubble, meaning they still have a legit shot at making the roster but it’s going to be close. I will say that in spite of the some of the depth issues in places the Panthers brass has some hard decisions to make.At the skill positions on offense the Panthers are set with their top 5 wide receivers (Funchess, Smith , Moore, Wright, Samuel) not counting Damierre Byrd who will be a kick returner. I like Jamaal Jones as practice project though. I think the bubble watch here is at running back and who will be the No. 3 running back.RB Kenjon Barner A couple weeks ago I was questioning why the Panthers signed Barner. Yet he impressed me with his running ability in the Dolphins game (14.4 ypc on 5 carries). I figured he was a third down specialist at best but he showed the ability to run inside and out. I’m not quite ready to put him ahead of Cameron Artis-Payne (I still remember those ball security issues as a rookie) but another performance like last week and I’m there.Last season the Panthers started the season with only eight offensive linemen. I think they start with at least nine but maybe even go with 10 given they have to carry right tackle Daryl Williams on the initial 53 to allow him to be eligible to come back in the season.OT Blaine ClausellClausell is only in the picture due to the Daryl Williams injury. The Panthers need a swing tackle and with Moton starting at right tackle that leaves either Clausell or Jeremiah Sirles. At this point I like Sirles’ chances. This would still leave room for fan favorite Brendan Mahon as a 10th lineman. I’m not sure they do that but it’s a possibility.Moving to the defense I think the hard decisions will come at defensive end and cornerback. Though the Panthers started last season with only three defensive tackles I think they keep four this season. They can still keep 5 defensive ends but that still leaves this guy on the bubble:DE Bryan Cox JrI love this kid’s potential but his injury this preseason has set him back. Besides I would still have a hard time cutting Daeshon Hall. Cox is healthy now but I’m not sure he’s done enough to make the roster so far. He still has time. I should mention I’ve already penciled in Marquis Haynes in the 53 as he has looked really good. Haynes is already listed ahead of Hall on the depth chart.CB Corn ElderElder is currently listed at No. 7 on the depth chart so he has a mountain to climb to make the roster. Yet he put in a nice performance versus the Dolphins. Well, at least he had a nice interception. He still has a ways to go but there is one move that might help him. There is a chance Kevon Seymour gets cut honestly. I thought hard about putting Seymour on the bubble but it seems a little bit of stretch after just two games. If he gets torched again this week he may not make through the first cut down. S Demetrious CoxCox made the team last season but is once again on the bubble in 2018. He didn’t get many snaps last week which is never a good sign. Dezmen Southward played more after Da’Norris Searcy went out with a concussion though Cox is listed as the third string behind Searcy.