5 Panthers players who didn’t meet expectations vs. Browns in Week 1

Jaycee Horn – Carolina Panthers CB

Perhaps the excitement surrounding Jaycee Horn‘s return clouded the fact this was only his fourth taste of competitive NFL action. And it’s also worth remembering he has been away from real football since Week 3 last season.

Horn has immense expectations on his shoulders in 2022. The Carolina Panthers are expecting the former No. 8 overall selection to become the franchise shutdown cornerback they’ve been craving, but there was some real rust to his overall production against the Cleveland Browns that needs to be eradicated at the earliest possible opportunity.

The South Carolina product was beaten on two notable occasions by Amari Cooper which would have resulted in significant gains had there been more consistent distribution from quarterback Jacoby Brissett.

Phil Snow’s decision to send Horn on corner blitzes rather than have the player assisting in coverage during the final drive was a terrible call. One that allowed Brissett to accumulate enough yards for rookie kicker Cade York to ice the game in its closing stages.

Horn will be far better from this experience. Getting his football legs back was always going to be the most crucial part of his return, but the onus will now be on the player to step up his performance levels at the New York Giants and beyond.