Carolina Panthers: Why Taylor Heinicke should win the backup quarterback battle in Carolina

This may be one of the more interesting position battles for the Carolina Panthers…

The backup quarterback battle often does not get the attention it deserves. Especially when you have an MVP dual-threat quarterback like Cam Newton. Whether Newton chooses to keep the ball on a read option play or lean back in the pocket and launch a ball deep down the sideline, he almost always does something spectacular. He has carried a group of mediocre receivers to the playoffs multiple times in the last few years. As long as Newton is healthy, the Carolina Panthers should have no problem winning at least six regular season games.

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With that said, who would carry the Carolina Panthers to the promise land if Newton were to go down with an unfortunate season-ending injury? Is the answer on the roster? The Panthers can no longer count on veteran backup quarterback Derek Anderson because the team chose not to renew his contract this offseason. While the backup quarterback battle in Carolina is far from over, there is a case to be made for Taylor Heinicke taking over as the No. 2 quarterback.

This offseason the Panthers brought in quarterbacks Garrett Gilbert, Taylor Heinicke and Kyle Allen to compete for a chance to backup Newton. Gilbert was the first quarterback to take the field after Cam exited in the first quarter of the Panthers’ first preseason game. Although he got off to a rocky start, Gilbert fixed his composure and completed seven passes on nine attempts for a total of 93 yards and one score.

Fast forward to the third quarter and Heinicke was called in. During his preseason debut, he netted 14 rushing yards and went 7-of-9 for 121 yards. Twenty-one of those 121 passing yards came from a beautiful touchdown pass to UNC product Elijah Hood. That touchdown gave the Panthers a 28-17 lead with just under six minutes to go in the fourth quarter. Both backup quarterbacks played well, but Heinicke put on a better show. I think Heinicke should be the one to take the field with the second-team offense in the next preseason game.

While neither of them has significant NFL experience, Heinicke has a greater understanding of offensive coordinator Norv Turner’s system because he trained under him for two years in Minnesota.

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Heinicke possesses a natural talent for reading defenses. He quickly analyzes the defensive formation and then adjusts his offense to counter the strategy of the defense. Heinicke has a strong arm that could possibly get stronger and more accurate as the regular season progresses. He is another dual-threat quarterback who can make a quick decision to keep the ball on a read option play or sit back in the pocket and launch the football down the field to guys like Curtis Samuel, Damiere Byrd, Devin Funchess or Torrey Smith.

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