5 Carolina Panthers players with most to prove in Week 2 at NY Giants
By Dean Jones
Jaycee Horn – Carolina Panthers CB
The criticism surrounding Jaycee Horn‘s performance in Week 1 needed some context. This was only his fourth competitive NFL appearance and the cornerback also endured a disrupted preparation period after experiencing soreness in his surgically-repaired foot during early conditioning tests in training camp.
Anyone expecting Horn to come in and immediately become Darrelle Revis 2.0 was kidding themselves. The former No. 8 overall selection looked rusty as expected, finding it difficult to cope with Amari Cooper – one of the most polished route-runners in the business.
The fact Horn came through the contest unscathed was the biggest positive. But the Carolina Panthers won’t want their secondary becoming a problem in Week 2 if they want to stand any chance of securing success.
Anointing Horn as the next great shutdown cornerback was a stretch given his inexperience. Although he does have the size, athleticism, and physicality to potentially meet this lofty target providing there are no further complications through injury.
One thing Horn does need to eradicate from his game is penalties. Being too hands-on was a question coming out of college and must improve against the likes of Kenny Golladay and Sterling Shepard at MetLife Stadium.
Writing off Horn at this stage is beyond foolish. However, it’ll be interesting to see how he fares under pressure for the first time in his professional career.