What the Panthers’ preseason win over Washington tells us about Carolina’s team so far
It wasn’t by design, but Baker Mayfield played twice as many snaps as quarterback Sam Darnold.
Neither Panthers quarterback played long, nor did most starters on both sides of the ball. That left plenty of opportunities for the team’s second- and third-teamers to prove why they deserve a roster spot.
Carolina beat Washington, 23-21, in a game in which results mattered less than individual performances. Joint practices against New England start Tuesday. The two-day joint sessions will weigh heavily on how the team evaluates its roster ahead of its second preseason game Friday night at Gillette Stadium.
Let’s highlight four key takeaways from the Panthers’ first preseason game and unpack what it may tell us going forward.
Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold keep splitting reps
Imagine Carolina’s quarterback situation were a blackjack hand. The Panthers are holding a pair of twos, bet big before the flop, and then watched the river and turn reveal aces and faces. Pot committed (but far from all in), it’s unlikely they’ll win this round.
How can they maximize their chances without folding? As the high rollers say, “bluff it out.” Thus, Carolina will keep saying this is a quarterback competition, holding and waiting for something either internally or around the league to change.
The team has four quality assets at the game’s most valuable position. Eventually, something will have to give.
Mayfield has the inside track to start Week 1 against his former team. The team remains adamant it is not shopping Darnold, who threw Carolina’s only touchdown pass against Washington. While P.J. Walker completed 10 of 19 passes for a team-high 126 yards against Washington’s first-team defense.
Matt Corral had a forgettable outing. The rookie looked like one, completing one pass on nine attempts. He completed his first pass — an 11-yard comeback route to Keith Kirkwood but threw eight straight incompletions after that. Postgame, Corral owned his lackluster performance.
“We just have to have better communication. Regardless of who’s out there, we always say, ‘We want complete, clear, concise and complete communication,’” Corral said. “We were just all over the place out there. And that’s all me.”
Unless one of these four quarterbacks gets injured, Carolina’s hand will eventually be forced. But they won’t fold this hand anytime soon.
Panthers’ defense beat up Washington
Did anyone notice Carson Wentz and the Washington offense competing against the Panthers’ second-team defense? Wentz played 22 snaps compared to Mayfield’s 12 plays and Darnold’s six.
Carolina held Washington to six first-half points and forced two turnovers. Rookie linebacker Amare Barno recovered a fumble and forced an interception by pressuring Commanders quarterback Taylor Heinicke. Most of the starters only played a series or two before retiring. Brian Burns started at defensive end but only played four snaps. Henderson, Jeremy Chinn, Donte Jackson, and Xavier Woods all played two series.
Coincidentally, Wentz led an 82-yard, 14-play drive — capped by a 1-yard touchdown run via rookie back Brian Robinson Jr — on their third series. Until the fourth quarter — when rookie quarter Sam Howell and the Commanders scored 15 unanswered points — Carolina had its way with Washington, especially up front.
The Panthers moved Washington in the trenches. The Commanders’ two top running backs (Robinson and Gibson) gained 28 yards on combined 10 carries. As pass rushers, Austin Larkin, Bravvion Roy, Drew Jordan and Phil Hoskins all had quarterback hits. Hoskins and Jordan each had a sack and a tackle for a loss. Jeremy Chinn also recorded a TFL in his seven snaps.
Carolina’s secondary was around the ball and sticky in coverage. Cornerback Tae Hayes had two pass breakups. Duke Dawson intercepted Heinicke in the second quarter. Kalon Barnes also had a pass breakup. Cornerback Chris Westry had a tough outing. The team later cut him (and Darius Bradwell, Nate Becker, Kamal Martin and Wyatt Miller) on Sunday.
Shi Smith stepping up
Carolina is seeking a reliable slot receiver. C.J. Saunders was taking most of the first-team reps until he injured his calf two weeks ago. Smith has stepped up since Saunders went down. He started on Saturday and demonstrated instant chemistry with Mayfield, converting two third downs on catches of 19 and 15 yards. Smith notched a team-high 17 yards per reception. He separated in small areas and consistently won at the line of scrimmage.
The team is also comfortable deploying D.J. Moore, Robbie Anderson, Rashard Higgins and Marshall inside as well.
Like accurately configuring an offensive line, the Panthers must identify what three receivers maximize their offense. Expect the team to experiment with several combinations through the preseason.
Special teams swung the game
Zane Gonzalez remains automatic for Carolina. He made kicks of 41, 37 and 45 yards plus two extra points. Rhule said he’s encouraged by the special teams’ performances Saturday, because they were a point of emphasis this offseason to improve in the kicking and coverage game. Carolina wants its special teams to flip games for them. Rhule and special teams coordinator Chris Tabor accomplished that on Saturday.
“Special teams was a real bright spot leading up to that last field goal,” Rhule said.
Long snapper J.J. Jensen made two tackles on eight snaps. Carolina repeatedly pinned Washington deep in punt and kick-off situations as well.
“Our our kickoff team, I was really pleased by our kickoff team today,” Rhule said. “I think we tackled them four times inside the 20.”
