After dropping their previous preseason affair with the Buffalo Bills, the Carolina Panthers had something to prove going into Friday night’s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Despite the regular season remaining a couple of weeks away, Friday night was an opportunity to prove that Carolina can learn from its mistakes and show flashes of what this team can really be. They did just that in a quite impressive 34-17 win.
Let’s start with the guys doing the dirty work up front. Carolina’s offensive line did exactly what they were supposed to do. Three different quarterbacks took snaps for the Panthers and not a single one was sacked. If Carolina can continue getting heavy protection from their O-line, that would go a long way.
With starters seeing a few more snaps than the last two preseason games, the Panthers were able to get into a little bit of rhythm offensively. Bryce Young was 5 of 6 for 49 yards and ultimately set up a one-yard touchdown run from running back Jonathan Brooks.
Brooks had five carries for 18 yards and seems to be really comfortable running the football after recovering from two ACL tears. While Brooks is anticipated to make a major impact in the backfield, the Panthers have other weapons too, and they used them. Trevor Etienne and AJ Dillon both also had five carries, Miles Davis had three, Anthony Tyus III had nine and even WR Jimmy Horn Jr. had an explosive carry for 39 yards. Having so many options of how to move the ball downfield will be vital for this team going into the regular season.
Not only was the wealth shared among running backs, the quarterbacks who saw time under center for Carolina on Friday did a phenomenal job of spreading the football around. Kenny Pickett had the most time at QB and made the most of his opportunity, completing 15 of 25 for 137 yards, including a 16-yard touchdown pass to Roc Taylor.
Thirteen different players caught passes in Duval, one state in particular stood out. Carolina’s offense has been notorious in recent years for struggling to make the big play. On Friday, we saw eight of those 13 receivers had a reception of 10 or more yards. Combine those big-play threats with the running game, and Carolina could field a lethal offense in Uptown this season.
Carolina’s offense in recent years has been notorious for not being able to make the big play. On Friday, eight of the 13 receivers who made a catch had a reception of 10+ yards. Combine big play threats with the running game, Carolina could field a lethal offense in Uptown this season.
With the understanding that the Jaguars aren’t exactly the Bills, Carolina’s defense seemed to improve from a week ago as well. They were able to force an interception and a fumble recovery and only allowed one “garbage time” touchdown with a massive lead and three minutes to play in the final quarter.
Panthers fans who were concerned after last week’s outing should be just as excited now, if not more, after seeing what this team is capable of. Preseason is just that and it doesn’t always translate to the regular season but based on Friday’s performance, it is easy to say Carolina is heading in the right direction.
The Panthers will take on the Houston Texans on Friday, Aug. 28 at 7:00 p.m. ET at Bank of America Stadium for their final pre-season contest.
All Photos from: Carolina Panthers
