The Carolina Panthers are back in the win column with one preseason game to go, and there was a lot of good to take away from Friday night's victory.
Head coach Dave Canales saw his team play the most complete preseason game since his first season in Carolina. The first-team offense finally had a productive display in limited action while the Panthers' pass rush shined again on the way to the team's victory against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
There are a lot of positives to take away from this game (and maybe a couple of critiques). Here are some instant reactions from the Panthers' second preseason win.
Instant takeaways from Carolina Panthers impressive Week 2 preseason victory vs. Jaguars
1. Bryce Young looked very efficient in the two drives he played for Carolina, going 5-of-6 for 49 yards. While he was playing against the Jaguars' second-string defense, this is the type of drive the Panthers wanted to see across the board. He seemed to have excellent command of the offense, just as he has had all summer.
2. Tre'von Moehrig made a nice stop at the line of scrimmage in the first quarter. He has shown throughout the summer why he is the true enforcer for the Panthers' defense.
3. Jimmy Horn Jr. seems to have secured a spot on the 53-man roster. He showed off his speed and short-area quickness on kick and punt returns, including an end-around that went for 39 yards in the second quarter. The Panthers may have their speed element in Horn this season with rookie wideout Chris Brazzell out for the season.
4. The competition for the No. 3 running back spot will likely come down between AJ Dillon and Trevor Etienne by next week's joint practice and preseason matchup against the Houston Texans. I don't believe Canales will keep four running backs.
5. The Panthers weren’t starting a good portion of their defensive starters, but edge rushers Princely Umanmielen and Pat Jones II and rookie defensive tackle Lee Hunter made impact plays in red-zone defense on the second defensive series to hold the Jaguars offense to a field goal. This is the second week in a row that the pass rush has stood out.
6. Offensive coordinator Brad Idzik did well to help the offense establish good drives with consistent play-calling and sequencing. He pairs some downhill run game concepts with chunk-play gains. While it may not be the full bag of what we could see this season, the consistency in play sequences stands out.
7. Rookie center Sam Hecht and guard Brady Christensen had better performances this week against the Jaguars. Both were consistent in pass protection and created rushing lanes for Trevor Etienne and A.J. Dillon throughout the game.
8. Chau Smith-Wade was playing outside cornerback Friday night and had up-and-down moments in both coverage and run support. His leaping interception that led to a scoring drive in the second quarter was a great moment, but his future in Carolina remains uncertain.
9. Carolina may not have an answer to the No. 2 linebacker on the roster, as Trevin Wallace and Claudin Cherelus had some rough moments against Liam Coen’s wide zone concepts. General manager Dan Morgan may need to start looking elsewhere for an adequate starter next to Devin Lloyd.
10. Wide receiver John Metchie III got an extended look for the Panthers on Friday night with six catches for 77 yards. He is one of the handful of Panthers fighting for a sixth and potentially seventh spot at wide receiver, and he certainly made one by leading both teams in catches and receiving yards.
11. Undrafted cornerback DeVonta Smith had a great forced fumble in the third quarter. He got an extended look on Friday night as he looks to make his case to be on the 53-man roster, and plays like that will help him with the coaching staff and secondary coach Jonathan Cooley.
Add us as a preferred source on Google