Panthers preseason: Daunting Baltimore Ravens clash set for national TV

The Carolina Panthers preseason schedule will see them take on the Baltimore Ravens in a nationally televised game during week three of the calendar.

It won’t take long for the Carolina Panthers preseason schedule to come up against a significant measuring stick. The franchise will take on the fancied Baltimore Ravens in a friendly game that will also come with some national TV coverage.

The Panthers preseason contest has been scheduled for Sunday, August 30 at 8pm ET and will be shown on NBC. This is a week three contest that normally sees the projected starters get more game time before getting some much-needed rest during their final outing ahead of competitive action.

This represents a daunting task for a young Panthers roster that is going to be learning on the job in 2020. The Ravens had the highest-scoring offense in the regular season last year. And they also boast current NFL MVP Lamar Jackson under center.

Defensive coordinator Phil Snow will get a strong indication of just how much his run defense has improved in such a short space of time. The Panthers preseason is a good opportunity for the recent appointment to put the right things in place to ensure things trend on an upward curve from the outset. But the Ravens boast arguably the most ferocious run game in the NFL with Jackson, Mark Ingram, Gus Edwards, and recent second-round draft pick J.K. Dobbins out of Ohio State.

It would be a huge surprise if this portion of the Panthers preseason schedule saw them come away with a victory. However, that will be the least of head coach Matt Rhule’s concerns heading into the real preparation in the coming weeks. The franchise is not expected to return to their stadiums for activities until June, which further complicates an already shortened offseason due to the coronavirus pandemic.

This will be something of an acid test on both sides of the ball on the Panthers preseason schedule. The Ravens are set to be contesting for the AFC Championship once again this term and will want to put their two disappointing playoff exits over the last two seasons behind them.

The game might be insignificant in terms of the result. But that should not take away from the valuable experience it can give the Panthers going forward. They could potentially have five or six rookies in the starting rotation and a contest such as this will be playing against a level they can aspire to emulate in the years to come.

The Panthers do not have much national TV exposure heading into 2020, which might actually work in their favor. They are slated to have just one primetime game in the regular season against the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday Night Football.