winners Ryan Kalil Jersey , 3 losers from the Panthers’ Week 1 win The Carolina Panthers showed grit, resilience,and played sixty minuets of solid football as they squeaked by the Dallas Cowboys 16-8 in their home opener.Carolina’s offense overcame a foot injury to TE Greg Olsen and carried a 10-0 lead into halftime.The Panthers’ defense, however, were the real stars of the game- holding Dallas’ offense to zero plays into their territory in the first half. Here are five winners and three losers from week one.WinnersDefense:This unit dominated the Cowboys for the majority of the game. Luke Kuechly and the rest of the front seven held Dallas’ offense to a paltry 232 total yards.The Panthers defense contained Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott, holding him to 69 yards on the day.Kuechly lead the way for this unit with 12 tackles. Cam Newton: For all of the criticism that Newton receives regarding his accuracy, he completed 17 of his 26 passes for 65 percent on the day.Newton was a bit on the conservative side with his arm today, taking few risks downfield.He was efficient and his throws were enough to put the offense into positions to capitalize. While Newton’s arm was solid, his legs made the difference. He lead the team in rushing with 58 yards and a touchdown.Shaq Thompson and Kawann Short:These two came up huge today on defense. Kuechly may have steadied the defense with his tackles and roaming the middle, but it was Thompson and Short that brought the heat and pressured Cowboys Quarterback Dak Prescott all game long.The two combined sliced through the Cowboys’ O-line and combined for three sacks. Christian McCaffrey: The second year running back shook off the fumble on the Panthers’ opening drive and found a steady rhythm the rest of the way. Granted Authentic Graham Gano Jersey , McCaffrey could have done more today but he’d done enough to contribute to the win, recording 95 total yards from scrimmage.Damiere Byrd: He was dynamic as a returner during the game. He scorched the Cowboys’ special teams unit on three returns for 47 yards, including a 30 yard return deep into Dallas territory late in the third quarter. LosersOffense:Carolina’s offense is here NOT because of their performance. They are here because they have lost two key components of the unit during this game. All Pro Tight End Greg Olsen left the game in the second quarter with a foot injury and did not return.The O-line was hit once again when Tackle Daryl Williams was carted off with an injury.Granted, they won the battle of scrimmage and attrition, but at what cost?Coaches: Instead of going for a touchdown at the end of the first half, Norv Turner and the rest of the Panthers’ coordinators decided to be conservative and end the half with a Graham Gano field goal. The play almost came back to haunt the Panthers. Luckily for them,the defense rendered Dallas ineffective. Amini Silatolu:Silatolu is responsible for a bad snap from J.J. Jansen that prevented Gano from attempting an extra point that would have given the Panthers a 17-0 lead after the Alex Armah touchdown in the 3rd quarter. At first it appeared that Jansen snapped the ball way too high, but on replay it was clear that Silatolu moved his leg too soon and got in the way of the snap, causing it to sail high and wide. The result was a blown play and a two possession game when it should have been more.Panthers fans, who are your winners and losers for week one? Let us know in the comments below.Panthers 2018 season opener countdown: 71 days to go We are 71 days away from the beginning of the Carolina Panthers 2018 season. Fun fact: the Panthers have two players wearing the No. 71 jersey right now. That means today we take a closer look at both of them: guard Jeremiah Sirles and defensive end Efe Obada.Jeremiah Sirles Youth James Bradberry Jersey , GuardBioHeight: 6’6”Weight: 315 lbsAge: 26College: NebraskaNFL Experience: 5 yearsThe Panthers signed Sirles to a one-year contract back in March after Andrew Norwell took his talents to Jacksonville via free agency. He is expected to compete with Taylor Moton for the starting left guard spot, and at the very least will provide veteran depth at several positions on the offensive line. He has experience at playing both left and right guard, as well as right tackle, so if he’s unable to beat Moton for the starting spot he should have no trouble making the 53-man roster as offensive line depth.Efe Obada, Defensive endBioHeight: 6’6”Weight: 265 lbsAge: 26College: NoneNFL Experience: 1 yearObada was assigned to the Panthers as part of the International Player Pathway Program in 2017 and spent the entire season on the practice squad. The Panthers signed him to a reserve future contract in January. There’s a bit of confusion regarding his status for this season, but according to Jourdan Rodrigue the Panthers are allowed to keep Obada on the practice squad for 2018 as well. If he is eligible, I wouldn’t expect Obada to make the 53-man roster just yet — but he’s the perfect candidate for one more year on the practice squad before making a roster push in 2019.