A preseason game is in the books. Only three training camp practices remain.
The questions about the Panthers, however, are still lengthy. With all of the starters watching Sunday’s loss to the Colts in sweatpants, multiple players missing due to injury and seven not even making the trip to Indianapolis, there are still areas of concern that need to be sorted out.
Coach Matt Rhule said that the goal of the first preseason game was to get every player that dressed an opportunity to get on the field to show what they can do, and then the evaluation would come. Let’s do just that.
Here’s a look at what’s going right for the Panthers, what is going wrong and the questions that remain.
Positives
▪ Panthers pass rush has no reason not to be successful
Coming into training camp, it was clear that the defensive line was one of the strongest areas of the roster for the Panthers. That has been cemented over the past three weeks.
Haason Reddick has been a major impact player at training camp. There’s been no evidence that Brian Burns isn’t ready to take the next step forward. The backup situation also seems pretty secure.
Marquis Haynes exploded during Sunday’s game, making the Colts’ offensive line uncomfortable. He finished with a sack, two quarterback hits and a forced fumble and fumble recovery. Haynes had four sacks last year and took advantage of the opportunities he had in 2020. Second-year defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos also had a sack, as did free agent addition Frankie Luvu. Rookie defensive tackle Phil Hoskins even had a nice day.
Those are the backups. That’s without Burns, Reddick and Morgan Fox. This defensive line should be fun to watch.
▪ Offensive rookies off to good start. Unlike the 2020 draft, the Panthers invested in the offense early this year. Like he has throughout camp, second-round pick Terrace Marshall Jr. had a solid day in his first game, catching three passes for 88 yards, including a 60-yard pass that he fumbled out of bounds at the end of the play. It appeared he had enough distance between the closest defender to get in the end zone.
“Terrace, obviously, we needed him to put that ball away on the one long one that he made on that P.J. (Walker) scramble,” Rhule said.
Tight end Tommy Tremble made a play in the end zone on a pass from Walker that wasn’t even intended for him and had two other catches. Running back Chuba Hubbard got the opportunity to start with Reggie Bonnafon and Rodney Smith sidelined due to injury. While Hubbard had trouble at first, with the offensive line not much of a help, he broke off a 59-yard run and appeared to get more confident as the game went on. His success is only a positive for the backup running back competition. Smith has been the leader lately, but Hubbard took advantage of the opportunity. Good signs.
▪ Safety position might be better than expected. Juston Burris and Jeremy Chinn are the clear starters at the two safety spots, but after that, the depth appeared murky. Sunday’s game was a good sign. Former Temple player Sean Chandler has been performing well in camp and had a good game, finishing with five tackles. Second-year safety Kenny Robinson had an interception on a bad pass by Sam Ehlinger and a pass defensed.
Safety is a position that the team has been struggling to get right, signing multiple players to round out the depth. Some of the issues are heading in the right direction.
Needs to get fixed
▪ Help at linebacker. Something needs to change here. With Denzel Perryman not recovering as quickly as the team expected from a soft-tissue injury, the depth at linebacker isn’t ideal.
Josh Bynes, who was signed by the team Wednesday, started the game at middle linebacker and was calling out the plays for the defense. Jonathan Celestin, also signed during training camp, was the other starting linebacker. Fourth-year linebacker Jermaine Carter has been the starter as of late and sat out of Sunday’s game.
A change needs to be made here. Inside linebacker was an issue on the roster coming into training camp and now things have only gotten worse. Bynes could be a solid addition after starting 16 games for the Cincinnati Bengals last year, but the depth the Panthers have currently isn’t enough.
▪ Penalties. Are the 10 penalties in a preseason game a real cause for concern? Not yet. But with Cam Erving and Taylor Moton not playing Sunday, Trent Scott was the starting left tackle; he committed two false-start penalties in the first quarter. Greg Little took his place later in the first half and played fine, but that’s not what Carolina is looking for in a veteran tackle like Scott.
The three consecutive false start penalties that came in the fourth quarter are less of a concern as there’s not much reason to expect to need a silent count in a first preseason game. Six total false starts, though, isn’t good. Offensive line penalties were an issue for the Panthers at the start of camp. That needs to get corrected quickly.
▪ Offensive line. Injuries are uncontrollable. Backup offensive linemen Deonte Brown and Matt Kaskey going down during the preseason game couldn’t have been planned. Aaron Monteiro shouldn’t have been playing guard for the first time in his career. Throughout training camp and in against the Colts, there have been many reasons to be concerned about the line. The best offensive lineman, starting right tackle Taylor Moton, is the second-best left tackle. Moton is a good lineman, but that shouldn’t be the case. Hubbard almost had nowhere to run throughout the first half.
Will the first-team offensive line be better? Yes, but there are plenty of questions with that group as well. Can Erving stay healthy? Is Elflein the answer at left guard? This offensive line figures to be an issue all season long, something that won’t be good for quarterback Sam Darnold’s development.
Questions the Panthers still face
▪ How does Sam Darnold look in a game? It’s important to get a look at the backup quarterbacks and see what Will Grier and Walker have to offer, but the real question is how does Darnold look in a game? We’ll at least get a taste in the Week 3 preseason game vs. the Pittsburgh Steelers, but there’s a chance he’ll play against the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday.
His success and whether he can shed his recent performances with the New York Jets will have an obviously massive impact of where this offense can go. There’s only so much you can tell from joint practices when the quarterback isn’t getting hit, something Grier articulated after his first live game reps in almost two years. After the first preseason game, we are still waiting to find out what to expect from Darnold in this offense.
▪ Should Rhule keep sending Joey Slye out for 60-plus yard kicks? The Panthers only have one kicker in training camp, and that’s Slye. He had a good Sunday, making all but one field goal — a 63-yard attempt at the end of the first half — and missing a 43-yard point-after try. Instead of trying a Hail Mary or a trick play, Rhule sent Slye out to attempt an almost-historic kick yet again.
Can Slye make those kicks? No one is debating that he has the leg. Is there value, however, in giving your quarterback a chance to throw it downfield? Few kickers have made successful kicks from 60-plus yards for a reason. The Panthers can have confidence in Slye and not need to send him out for those crazy attempts. It’ll be worth keeping an eye on how similar situations are approached this preseason.
▪ What’s going on at nickel? Linebacker isn’t the only position the Panthers are short some players. With A.J. Bouye and Myles Hartsfield both missing time due to injury, the two top nickel corners have been unavailable. There’s not really a clear answer at the role without those players available.
The Panthers improved the cornerback position in the draft and through free agency, but with recent injuries and Bouye’s two-game suspension to start the year, a clearer option needs to be determined.