Team news: Carolina Panthers | Page 44

Last year, Marvin Jones averaged the 11th most receiving yards per game. This year, Golden Tate is 10th.

Yet it's possible Kenny Golladay has been better than both of them in 2018.

Metrics say Golladay is the ninth best receiver in the NFL, trailing only DeSean Jackson, Adam Thielen, DeAndre Hopkins, Tyreek Hill, Michael Thomas, Mike Evans, A.J. Green and Odell Beckham.

And Golladay's emergence, with two really good players ahead of him, was one of the brightest developments of the first five weeks of season.

Golladay now has 27 catches, just one off his total from all last season. He has 428 yards, which is just 3 off Tate's team lead. And he's been the No. 1 threat downfield. He now has 55 catches for 905 yards and six touchdowns in 16 career games, which is better than both Calvin Johnson and Herman Moore. And he's done so while playing with better receivers than either of them, the story went on to say.

Panthers team source tells NFL Network as of now, Greg Olsen is playing and they are planning to start him tomorrow. They said Olsen has had no setbacks so far, that he’s had a good week.

Related Players: Ian Thomas, Devin Funchess

We are concerned Olsen will not play a full load of snaps in his return from another foot injury. That keeps him out of our TE1 options for Week 6. In his first game back from injury last year, Olsen only played 34 percent of snaps, catching just one of four targets.

Coach Ron Rivera confirmed Monday that Olsen (foot) has a chance to return for Week 6 against Washington, Max Henson of the Panthers' official site reports.

Related players: Ian Thomas

Later news broke that Olsen will likely get surgery at the end of the season, but hopes the foot will hold up this year. This could make him a risky play week-to-week. As for this week, Rivera hopes to see Olsen on the practice field Wednesday. Olsen did have two limited practices to close out last week. A return to full participation would put Olsen on track to play Week 6, though it's possible the Panthers might limit his snaps.

Through four games, the connection between Kirk Cousins and his receiving duo has been everything the Vikings could have dreamed.

That was especially on display on Thursday Night Football against the Los Angeles Rams, when the combo brought in 19 passes.

Related players: Stefon Diggs, Adam Thielen

The story summed it up nicely saying Thielen has been targeted 55 times, more than any other receiver in the NFL through four weeks. Cousins has 40 completions on those targets (72.2 percent completion percentage) for 473 yards and a QB rating of 110.6 when throwing Thielen’s way. While Diggs doesn’t have quite as many targets, his efficiency is every bit as impressive. When throwing at Diggs, Cousins has gone 27-for-39 with 311 yards and has a QB rating of 118.6. Everything is coming together for the Cousins/Thielen/Diggs trio. The receivers are doing exactly what they’ve done for Sam Bradford and Case Keenum in the past: Line up all over the field and get open constantly.

When Greg Olsen broke his right foot again, and the team didn’t put him on injured reserve, it seemed a pretty clear sign he was coming back soon.

And while there still isn’t a set date in mind, the Panthers tight end said last night he doesn’t think he’ll miss as many games as when he broke it the first time last year (nine).

“Yeah, I’m way ahead of the curve,” Olsen said, via David Newton of ESPN.com. “Last year at two weeks I was laying in my bed in a cast. I couldn’t do anything.

Related players: Ian Thomas

The story said the fact Olsen didn't need surgery signaled a return inside the eight-week window had he been placed on IR. The Panthers have a bye in Week 4 before playing the Giants on Oct. 7.