Photo: Cassie Baker / Carolina Panthers
To succeed in the NFL, a quarterback needs heavy protection up front. That is a luxury Bryce Young has not often enjoyed in his career. Carolina spent this past offseason addressing the need, and Friday night is the first real chance to see those moves on display.
The Panthers are coming off a tough loss to the Buffalo Bills, one that left them with more concerns than answers. Friday is a chance to shift momentum back in their favor.
The line will be tested right away. Offensive tackles Ikem Ekwonu and Taylor Moton are both dealing with serious injuries and are expected to miss significant time, thinning the group Carolina just rebuilt and handing the new additions an immediate opportunity.
As we get one step closer to the regular season, we can likely expect some more snaps from starters including offensive lineman: Rasheed Walker, Damien Lewis, Luke Fortner, Robert Hunt and Monroe Freeling.
Photo: Andrew Stein/Carolina Panthers
While Young has received a lot of criticism his first few seasons in the league, there has always been the caveat to his poor performances that his O-line was not giving him enough time in the pocket to make the right decisions.
If the Panthers are able to move the chains efficiently against Jacksonville and get into a rhythm, coach Dave Canales can breathe a sigh of relief and start imagining what this offense could be in 2026. Having playmakers like Tetairoa McMillan is a blessing for a play-caller, but it starts up front on the line.
Photo: Andrew Stein/Carolina Panthers
On the other side of the football, the Panthers will look to pressure the quarterback and force more incompletions. Although Carolina was tasked with slowing down quarterbacks with a high football IQ in Josh Allen and Kyle Allen last week, it forced only seven incompletions in 33 pass attempts.
As far as injuries go, defensive tackle Derrick Brown and quarterback Haynes King are currently listed as questionable for Friday night’s contest.
Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. EDT on Friday, and fans can tune in via ESPN Unlimited. After this game, the Panthers have one more preseason contest, against the Houston Texans, before the regular season begins.
