Which Carolina Panthers news stories are hitting the headlines as the team reflects on their shutout loss against the New York Jets?
After all the hype and one of the most prosperous offseasons in franchise history, things came crashing back down to earth for the Carolina Panthers. Their 27-0 preseason defeat versus the New York Jets at Bank of America Stadium was a stark reminder of how much hard work is ahead before they get down to business in Week 1 at the Atlanta Falcons.
Of course, there was a lot of reaction and tidbits to unpack. Among the stories causing debate include Bryce Young on getting hit (a lot), Amare Barno's stock rising, Frank Reich not pressing the panic button, and Matt Corral's pleasure at being back in a game-day environment.
Let's delve into each topic in more detail.
Carolina Panthers OLB Amare Barno's stock
It was a disappointing afternoon overall for the Carolina Panthers, but a few players did manage to walk away with some semblance of credit. One such individual was edge rusher Amare Barno, who gained a sack and improved his chances of earning a spot on the 53-man roster according to Joe Person of The Athletic.
"Justin Houston’s arrival pushed [Amare] Barno down a notch on the depth chart. But Barno still should make the team as a special teams player and situational pass rusher. The 2022 sixth-round pick from Virginia Tech flashed in both roles against the Jets. Barno made a nice open-field tackle on the opening kickoff, bringing down Xavier Gipson at the Jets’ 20. The 6-6, 245-pound Barno also had the Panthers’ only sack, dropping Zach Wilson for a 15-yard loss in the first half."Joe Person, The Athletic
Barno still has his work cut out given the other options available to Carolina. But this sort of performance won't go unnoticed by other teams if the former sixth-round selection does make his way onto the waiver wire.
Carolina Panthers QB Matt Corral's delight
While all the hype surrounded Bryce Young, this was a monumental occasion for another quarterback looking to get his career back on track. Matt Corral came in for the No. 1 overall selection in the 2023 NFL Draft after 11 offensive snaps and did well in difficult circumstances - especially considering how long he's been away from the field.
The former third-round pick out of Ole Miss completed 68.18 percent of his passes for 126 yards, no touchdowns, one interception, and a 63.8 passer rating. Corral was also sacked four times behind an offensive line that failed to meet expectations during a lousy display.
Although the result didn't go Corral's way, the signal-caller was pleased to be back out there after missing his entire rookie campaign. He's also eager to fix some mistakes based on comments via Augusta Stone from the team's website.
"It was night and day. I was anxious the first two snaps. But after that first series, finally getting back in the rhythm of things, I definitely missed that feeling of (I) may or may not get hit this rep; I'm live. I haven't played football, really since last August, and that's a long time. Note that's not an excuse for me making mistakes. I've got to do my job. But it's definitely – blessed to be out there and get on the field. (I'm) going to fix what was wrong, fix the mistakes."Matt Corral via Panthers.com
What this means for Corral's future remains to be seen. The Carolina Panthers could still take him through onto the 53-man roster as the No. 3 option, but a situation could also emerge where another team in need of quarterback depth comes calling with a trade offer.
Whichever way it goes, it was great to see Corral back after a long, hard road.
Carolina Panthers QB Bryce Young on taking hits
There was an enormous sense of anticipation as Bryce Young led out the Carolina Panthers for the first time since becoming the No. 1 overall selection in the 2023 NFL Draft. It was only a small sample size, but the processing, accuracy, and poise were all as advertised despite the heavy loss.
One thing that didn't help Young's cause was porous protection from the offensive line. The former Alabama star was under constant duress, got hit a lot, and was sacked once - something that the Panthers won't want continuing into the regular season.
When asked about taking such hits after the game, Young stated via USA Today Sports that he won't let it impact how he plays the game. If anything, standing in the pocket and withstanding this punishment should alleviate some concerns about his durability moving forward.
"Yeah, that’s part of the game. Football is a physical sport. It’s part of the job description. You’re gonna get hit—and, again, that’s the game we play. It’s part of the job and you know that’s coming. That’s not something I think of. Can’t let that affect your decision-making or what you’re going through."Bryce Young via USA Today Sports
This is all part of the growing pains that normally envelop teams around the league at this time of year. Hopefully, for Young and the Panthers, the protection can return to the form that saw them emerge as one of the NFL's surprise packages in 2022.
Carolina Panthers HC Frank Reich staying calm
Although a shutout defeat is not the best way to begin any head coaching tenure, Frank Reich was eager to keep things in perspective. The Carolina Panthers kept things basic from a scheme standpoint, which was reportedly by design to avoid giving the game away too much ahead of the regular season.
This was an issue addressed by Reich post-game via Sports Illustrated. And it's clear based on his comments that not tipping his hand will be the primary focus over the next two preseason contests.
"You don’t like getting shut out and getting beat 27-0. But I have a lot of years in this league that tell me that preseason scores are not the most meaningful thing. Not that we aren’t accountable for that, we are. But it is not the most important thing right now. It’s just not. We are trying to evaluate our team. Listen, this is by design. I mentioned it the other day. We are very generic now. We did nothing in our scheme. Nothing. That’s not an excuse. I expected us to do a lot. So, we kept it simple so that we could do a lot. When you are a new coaching staff, I just don’t want to show too much. Some teams don’t know the things we are going to do and there is some of it I’m willing to take on the chin a little bit in preseason to hide some things we are going to do in the regular season."Frank Reich via Sports Illustrated
Reich is experienced enough to know what he's doing. Anyone that was expecting miracles right away got a rude awakening, but this drubbing will have given the primary decision-makers plenty to ponder as part of their ongoing assessments.