4 key observations from Panthers joint practices with Patriots Day 2

What were some key observations from the second and final joint practice between the Carolina Panthers and New England Patriots?

After a fiery first joint practice between the Carolina Panthers and New England Patriots, it was time for both rosters to lock horns for a second and final time on Wednesday. There was a mixture of good and bad from Matt Rhule’s men during the opening session, which featured some chemistry issues on offense and extremely high energy on the defensive side of things.

This is another important part of the preparation period for the Panthers, who are beginning to finalize some decisions after officially naming Ikem Ekwonu as their starting left tackle. One expects the starting unit to be formally solidified by the end of the week, which gives them some time to enhance cohesion before taking on the Cleveland Browns in Week 1.

Bill Belichick gave the Panthers a crash course in what it’s going to take to make the playoffs. It’ll also be interesting to see how many established figures play in Friday’s preseason clash between the two after so much intensity this week.

With this in mind, here are some key observations from the Panthers’ second joint practice with the Patriots.

Key Observation No. 1

Multiple fights to kick off second Carolina Panthers joint practice

One of the more surprising elements early in practice was live kickoff drills. A bizarre and unsafe way to utilize everyone’s time at such a crucial stage of the preparation period.

This brought around a couple of skirmishes that boiled over. Another broke out immediately after when Christian McCaffrey took offense to a cheap shot that caused another fight to break out.

Coaches were forced to intervene, bringing everyone together after Chuba Hubbard was ejected. The Panthers are clearly not rolling over, which is great, but it must be harnessed correctly.