Things can only go up after last week’s preseason game, right?
After a rough performance - especially for the offensive starters - the Carolina Panthers are back in action on Friday in Jacksonville against the Jaguars after participating in a joint practice with them on Wednesday.
At the end of the day it is preseason but you’d hope the Panthers would look a tad better than they did last week.
With that, I’ve put some general categories below with bullet points of things I’d like to see on Friday night.
NO INJURIES
The Panthers have had enough injuries and hopefully nobody else gets hurt.
OFFENSIVE STARTERS
Get at least one first down.
After last week’s session, we’re setting the bar quite low here. Two first downs or more and a sustained drive would be ideal.
Score some points.
A touchdown would be exquisite but a field goal will suffice.
Don’t take a sack Bryce.
This will be the eighth preseason game of Bryce Young’s career. As I’ve noted in recent weeks, he’s taken at least one sack in every preseason game he has played. Sacks often get attributed to the offensive line but it is the quarterback’s responsibility to not take negative plays. I’d rather see Young throw passes away as opposed to taking a sack that potentially kills a drive.
Jonathon Brooks
I thought Brooks had a chance to bust a long run early last week but the interior offensive line didn’t provide any hope of that happening. It would be awesome to see Brooks break off a run of 10 yards or longer. I’m sure last week was good for him to just take some hits and be back on the field after everything he has been through. Breaking off an explosive run could be a launching point for him.
Can Jonathon Brooks and the offense rebound from last week’s performance? PHOTO CREDIT: Sarah Boeke of Panthers.com.
A clean operation
That means no penalties, especially infractions that wipe out chain moving plays.
IS THE OTHER STARTING ILB ON THIS TEAM?
Will Trevin Wallace or Claudin Cherelus seize the other inside linebacker job? That remains to be seen. If both play poor on Friday, will Dan Morgan stand pat or try to make some sort of move to address the position?
SPECIAL TEAMS
Hopefully the defense forces multiple punts so the Panthers can get some work done in the return game. The final receiver spots will come down to who can potentially play special teams.
QUICK POSTS
Feleipe Franks turned some heads on Wednesday and per ESPN’s Mike Kaye, he has caught the ball consistently all summer. The Panthers signed veteran tight end Darren Waller earlier in the week and he will not play on Friday as he’s still getting acclimated.
Could Franks steal a tight end spot? He’s made his bones in the NFL on special teams while transitioning from quarterback to tight end. The Panthers are clearly not thrilled with the lack of production from the position.
It’s still a long shot, but Franks has an incredible opportunity ahead of him over the next few weeks.The offensive line depth is truly being tested during the preseason. If Hunt and Lewis play, how many snaps will they get? If the game against the Bills was any indicator, they cannot lose them for any stretch of time.
Agree with all of this!