What were some key observations from Carolina Panthers quarterback Matt Corral’s second pro outing against the New England Patriots?
After a tough debut a week ago against the Washington Commanders, progression was expected from Carolina Panthers quarterback Matt Corral during his second game under center at the New England Patriots.
The third-round pick out of Ole Miss certainly looked more comfortable than a week ago, which was comforting. Despite leading the Panthers on a game-winning drive in preseason Week 1, Corral struggled to get anything going en route to just one pass completion from nine attempts.
Against Washington, it was clear to see that Corral was hampered by his lack of reps in training camp. With the main focus being on the quarterback competition between Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold, this left P.J. Walker and the rookie as somewhat of an afterthought at Wofford College, rarely getting any reps with the first-team unit or even the second string.
Matt Rhule decided to give Walker the majority of snaps in Washington. The Temple product saw snaps at various points in the second and fourth quarter while also playing the entire third.
The importance of reps in training camp was proved by the performance of another rookie Sam Howell, the former North Carolina star who has reportedly been taking snaps with the Commanders’ starting offense and looked composed on his NFL debut compared to Corral.
With that being said, this was a new chance for Corral to shine. Here are four key observations from the signal-caller’s performance, which might be the last we see of the player in 2022.