Carolina Panthers: Quarterback play offers no clear edge on Thursday

The Carolina Panthers have two very capable backup quarterbacks. Neither one was able to gain an edge over the other on Thursday.

If you have been following this website closely over the past couple of days, you know that I am huge on the backup quarterback battle for the Carolina Panthers. It may seem a little bit strange to have me focus my efforts on that particular roster battle, but I’m intrigued as the fight for the second quarterback spot on the depth chart continues. Thursday was the first time that both Kyle Allen and Will Grier battled it out on the gridiron. No one really seized an edge in the battle.

The statistics of both quarterbacks weren’t horrible, but they weren’t overly impressive either. Yes, I know this is preseason. I’m not expecting sharp, fine-tuned quarterback play. I would have liked to have seen a bit more from both quarterbacks in terms of consistency. I have a feeling more consistency will occur in next Friday’s contest as another week will offer more reps for both and additional practice time. Thursday, both the signal-callers probably wanted to just settle their nerves down.

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Allen went seven-of-11, throwing for 76 yards on 21 plays. Grier went nine-of-16, throwing for 77 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. He ran 26 plays. All things considered, the snap count for both of them was pretty even. Grier certainly showed that he had potential, but Allen still has the upper hand as the second quarterback on the depth chart.

According to statistics from Pro Football Focus, Allen had a 44.6 passing rating, while Grier boasted a 34.5 mark. If there was one thing these two quarterbacks were extremely even on, it was their running abilities. Grier had a 63.3 rating, while Allen finished with a 63.1 rating. I’ll be interested to see how they follow up their performance from Thursday against the Buffalo Bills next week.

If anything, Thursday night proved that the Carolina Panthers have two very capable backup quarterbacks. That is certainly better than having no depth at all at the position. Particularly with Cam Newton’s health still up in the air, it is better to have guys you can count on off the bench, then nothing at all. These two showed that while they still have work to do, they’re capable of leading a team up and down the field. It may sound a little silly and simplistic to say that, but quarterbacks who can manufacture and continue drives are certainly an asset.

Next. Takeaways in preseason win over Bears. dark

We have a backup quarterback battle on our hands, and it started Thursday night. I can’t wait to see how the rest of it plays out.

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