Panthers vs. Giants: Let the Games Begin
The first preseason game of the year for the Carolina Panthers is a few hours away. The Panthers will travel to the Meadowlands to take on the New York Giants. The Panthers have a few questions to answer in this first exhibition.
First, who will be the back-up quarterback to Jake Delhomme? Second, can the Panther defensive line hold up to the loss of Maake Kemoeatu? Third, does Carolina’s secondary pack the punch that it needs to keep receivers out of the end zone?
Josh McCown and Matt Moore have been fairly close to each other in performance at training camp, however McCown has been getting the reps with the second team. Moore has to prove that he is fully recovered from his leg injury and mentally is ready to be that strong, mentally tough backup. McCown has even more to prove though. McCown has made his rounds in the league without much fanfare. This could be McCown’s last go round unless he steps up his game and gives the Panthers that much needed respectable No. 2.
Losing Kemo at the beginning of training camp was a huge blow to the Panther defense. At Panthers.com, Andrew Mason reported Beason’s take on the situation. Jon Beason stated “you need two guys to block him” and “having him in there definitely makes my job easier.” Finding another Kemo will be a tough task, but defensive tackle Nick Hayden says that he is ready for the challenge. This first preseason game will hopefully shine some light on Kemo’s replacement.
Carolina’s secondary has been through its ups and downs over the years. This year the secondary is hoping to “keep it simple” with Ron Meeks new and fresh take on defense. Meeks being a secondary specialist will be to the Panthers advantage.
Which category is most important to you? Defensive line, Backup quarterback or Secondary. Leave a comment!
Preseason game #1 will be on Monday, August 17th at 8:00pm. TV coverage will be provided by ESPN and radio coverage will be provided by the Panthers Radio Network.