Panthers vs. Ravens in Charlotte

The third preseason game for the Carolina Panthers helped some and hurt others.  Luckily I was at the game to see first-hand Steve Smith’s return to the field and Mike Goodson‘s first opportunity to start at running back.  Here is a brief overview of what was going on at Bank of America Stadium.

Steve Smith was back in action and proving that he can still get it done.  Smitty ran his routes with precision and stiff-armed the heck out of the Ravens defender.  He got the reps he needed to help Panther fans feel really good about the regular season.

Mike Goodson got his first NFL start at running back in the preseason.  DeAngelo Williams didn’t see any action tonight with a reported sore knee.  Goodson solidified his spot on the team with a stellar performance running and returning the ball on kickoffs.  This guy has moves.  He made defenders miss and protected the ball (not one fumble).

Jake Delhomme made good reads and only had a couple of passes that flew high of his intended receiver.  Muhsin Muhammad had a few key receptions and Kenneth Moore displayed good route running and showed us tonight that he is not just a good return man.

Julius Peppers, Tyler Brayton and Everette Brown made Flacco feel the heat in the pocket.  Unfortunately the starting secondary was soft and the Ravens were running the ball easily by converting their screen passes.

The defense wasn’t the same without Jon Beason on the field.  The confidence just didn’t seem to be there.  Dan Connor filled in well for Beason and Na’il Diggs should be concerned that Connor held his own against the Ravens offense.

All in all the game was entertaining.  Not much more can be expected for preseason.  Bank of America stadium was full and fans seemed to be interested in the game.  The coaching staff will have some tough decisions to make this week with the first set of cuts.  Let’s just hope that all injuries can be healed by the first regular season game when the Philadelphia Eagles come calling.