Carolina Panthers: Will Grier knows he needs to get better

The Carolina Panthers backup needs to work on his timing.

It’s no secret that the Carolina Panthers quarterbacks took a big dip in production on Friday against the Buffalo Bills. After what was an impressive game against the Chicago Bears a couple of weeks ago, both Kyle Allen and Will Grier struggled on Friday.

It is no secret that Grier still has a lot to work on. He is a rookie after all. However, he seems to be realizing that he needs to get rid of the ball quicker than he has been. His preseason statistics leave a bit to be desired. So far, he has gone 19-of-45 for 152 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. With Kyle Allen taking a bunch of snaps as the preseason starter, those statistics are misleading.

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Even still, they signify that he needs to do a better job of protecting the football, and being more efficient. We saw how efficient he was at West Virginia, and it looked like the game came easy to him. Now in the professional ranks, everyone is just a little bit faster, a little bit stronger, and defenses are able to read offenses better. Nevertheless, the signs are there that he can be an impact player.

As the Carolina Panthers head into their third game of the preseason against the New England Patriots, he could have a chance to redeem himself on Thursday. The backup quarterback battle is one of the most intriguing battles on the roster, and Grier is no doubt doing his best to move himself up the depth chart. Even still, he admits he is overthinking things at times and holding onto the football too long. It is better for him to recognize that now than over the course of the regular season.

"“I feel relaxed and comfortable out there. It’s more so … the rush is coming and sometimes I see something that’s about to come open, but I can’t hang onto the ball that long,” Grier said. “I have to learn to take the underneath stuff, take what they give me. I’m not going to be able to sit back there and hold the ball. That clock has got to get faster.”"

This will be an interesting learning process for him. Sometimes, he will just have to stay in the pocket and take the hit. Other times, he will have to work on throwing the ball away. Other times, he may not be able to make the split-second read that he needs to, and that could lead to a turnover. There are a ton of variables that goes along with trying to figure out timing, especially internally. It’s a lot easier said than done.

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It will be interesting to see him work over the next couple of weeks. Hopefully for his sake, that internal clock gets faster and he is able to get rid of the ball quicker. As defensive lines get quicker around the league, that is something he is going to have to work on. Once he takes care of that, he should be in very good shape. He has a bright future, he just needs to clean up a couple things in order for him to maximize his potential.

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