4 major observations from Baker Mayfield’s fourth Panthers practice

Carolina Panthers’ defense turned up the heat on Baker Mayfield

After Baker Mayfield ran riot on the Carolina Panthers defense during his second practice, it’s been a completely different story ever since. Phil Snow’s unit has turned up the heat on every quarterback noticeably over the last couple of days, something that has seen them claim bragging rights for good measure.

Mayfield found life difficult to make any sort of impression during team drills. But he wasn’t alone thanks to some ruthless takeaways and overall dominance from a talented group of defenders.

This is going to stand Mayfield and the Panthers overall in good stead when competitive games arrive. It might not seem like it right now, but coming up against a defense that could become a top unit next season will sharpen his skill set before Week 1.

Obviously, Mayfield and the quarterbacks need to impose themselves at some stage. But the signal-caller is still working on key areas such as chemistry and timing while also learning Ben McAdoo’s system as he goes.

The defense clearly takes a considerable amount of pride in their craft. And at the end of the day, it’s not their job to make the quarterbacks look good.

For Mayfield, this is a challenge he must put to good use in no uncertain terms. Because things aren’t going to get any easier when things get more intense.