4 major observations from Baker Mayfield at Panthers joint practice Day 1

What were some major observations from Carolina Panthers quarterback Baker Mayfield’s performance during the first joint practice with the Patriots? 

After an encouraging preseason debut, Baker Mayfield looked to cement his status as starting quarterback for the Carolina Panthers on Day 1 of their joint practices with the New England Patriots. This is where head coach Matt Rhule will determine once and for all who is the man under center in 2022.

Mayfield couldn’t have done much more over his initial transition to the Panthers. He’s picked up the scheme quickly, become a leader within the locker room, and looked the part in limited reps during Saturday’s warmup win at the Washington Commanders.

All the stories of Mayfield’s immaturity and childishness haven’t come to light as yet. But coming up against Bill Belichick was another stiff test in the lead-up to their game at Foxborough on Friday evening.

With this in mind, here are some major observations from Mayfield’s first Panthers joint practice with the Patriots on Tuesday.

Major Observation No. 1

Baker Mayfield was Carolina Panthers QB1 to start

Whether it means all that much or not, Baker Mayfield once again led the Carolina Panthers as QB1 right out of the gate on Tuesday. This was also the case for their preseason opener at the Washington Commanders, but head coach Matt Rhule has yet to name him their confirmed starter moving forward.

Just how much longer this continues is anyone’s guess. Rhule outlined something concrete would be in place once this week comes to a conclusion, which will set the wheels in motion for Mayfield to potentially lead the charge if those in power feel like he’s a better option than Sam Darnold.

Carolina Panthers’ offense struggled with timing early

This was never going to be an easy task coming up against the New England Patriots defense, who were in no mood to appease the ongoing quarterback competition. Baker Mayfield and the offense overall struggled early on, with wideouts failing to create separation and timing not up to the required standard over the initial stages of practice.

Mayfield came on a little later in the day, but taking the rough with the smooth was always going to be a feature during the preparation period. Perhaps people were expecting too much based on his exceptional transition to the Carolina Panthers, but this was arguably his worst day since the first week of training camp.

Sam Darnold didn’t fare any better. So it’ll be interesting what – if anything – can improve when push comes to shove on Wednesday.

The Panthers will want Mayfield and Darnold to bounce back in the face of adversity. New England boasts a playoff-caliber defense and if Carolina wants to accomplish anything next season, then these are the sort of tests they need to pass.

Of course, this is one of the fallbacks to splitting reps between starting quarterbacks. Something that needs to change at the earliest possible opportunity with a little under a month before Carolina’s season opener against the Cleveland Browns.

Baker Mayfield grasping Carolina Panthers’ two-minute drill

It was a day of indifference from Baker Mayfield and the Carolina Panthers’ offense. But one encouraging sign continues to be the quarterback’s growing level of comfort within offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo’s system.

This was especially evident during the two-minute drill period of practice. Mayfield led the Panthers downfield with outstanding efficiency before things stalled near the goal line, which was another strong indicator of how much he’s picked up in a relatively short space of time.

One deep ball to D.J. Moore was a notable highlight. Mayfield’s blossoming connection with second-year-pro Shi Smith was something else that caught the eye according to those in attendance.

Mayfield has some work to do, he’ll be the first to tell you that. And it wasn’t as if Bill Belichick is ever in a mood to do anybody favors with plenty of pressure on his shoulders in 2022.

If one could take a positive from this outing, it would be Mayfield’s production in the two-minute drill. Something that separates the good quarterbacks from the great in crunch time.

Hopefully, Mayfield can build on this during the second practice and for the team’s remaining engagements before coming up against his old employers to kick off the campaign.

Carolina Panthers QB decision isn’t far away

This was pretty much a rubber between Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold thanks in no small part to an outstanding New England Patriots secondary. The wide receivers did get open more frequently as the practice went on, but the chemistry regarding distribution just wasn’t there more often than not.

If nothing else, it should further heighten the sense of urgency for the Carolina Panthers to name a starter and provide either Mayfield or Darnold with the majority of snaps. This practice and the obvious lack of cohesion might speed up the process.

The Panthers wasted little time in naming Ikem Ekwonu as their starting left tackle following practice, with Matt Rhule adding that Brady Christensen and Michael Jordan will compete for the left guard position. A race that appears to be one-sided, in all honesty.

Mayfield might not have set the world alight with his production on Tuesday. But the overall body of work coupled with his previous production still indicates he’s a much better option than Darnold next season.

The longer Carolina plays this out, the more complicated it’s going to be. Day 1 of joint practices with the Patriots was a stark reminder of the issues that can emerge, so those in power should react accordingly.

Anything can happen where the Panthers and their quarterbacks are concerned. All fans can do is wait and pray it’s the right call.