CHARLOTTE — Will Grier’s list of positives to take away from the Carolina Panthers’ first preseason game last week was limited.
Playing in the second half with coach Matt Rhule focused on maintaining the lead that was eventually lost, the biggest accomplishment was producing a better memory at Lucas Oil Stadium than the three-interception game he had left there at the end of the 2019 season.
In his second preseason appearance this year, Saturday night at Bank of America Stadium, Grier left behind a much-improved impression working with the second-team offense in a 20-3 loss to the Ravens, despite a lack of offensive success for the team overall.
Coming in after Sam Darnold played the first series (completing 1 of 2 passes for 16 yards), Grier led four drives — which resulted in a missed 37-yard field goal, two punts and a 41-yard field goal — and finished 11-of-14 passing for 144 yards, averaging 10.3 yards per attempt. He was sacked twice and finished with a 109.5 passer rating.
The 2019 third-round pick has been behind P.J. Walker for the backup quarterback job with Walker getting the start last week in Indianapolis. Walker’s night, however, did not come close to his stellar performance the week prior. He finished 1 of 8 for eight yards and had one carry for four yards.
“I try not to even think about (the backup quarterback battle), because I’m not sure, I don’t know. It’s not up to me,” Grier said. “I try to take advantage of opportunities and show that I can play quarterback in this league, and then it comes down to what they want.”
Grier came out of Saturday’s night game in command of the offense and said that it was the most comfortable he had been in a game setting in the NFL. His best throw came on a 34-yard pass to rookie Terrace Marshall Jr. at the start of the second quarter. The following play, he found rookie tight end Tommy Tremble for a 12-yard gain. The drive ended in a punt after Grier was sacked on third down.
“I thought Will did a nice job, pushed the ball down the field,” Rhule said. “Made some big throws, unfortunately, had some checks on the protection game that hurt him, kind of had to get rid of the ball ... He made some big throws down the field.
“ ... I thought he had good poise out there and thought Terrace did a couple good things out there, so there was some signs of good football.”
It was the type of outing that Grier needed to prove that he is still competitive in this backup fight as the Panthers continue to part ways with a dicey 2019 rookie class. Four of seven picks remain on the roster from that class, and among them is defensive end Christian Miller, who is fighting for a roster spot.
While Grier’s’ play is a positive for any shot he has in the backup battle, it also could help attract any teams that may be in need of some backup quarterback help, although interested parties may be limited. After 2019 second-round pick left tackle Greg Little performed well vs. the Colts, the Panthers traded him two days later for a 2022 seventh-round pick from the Miami Dolphins.
Finding a veteran quarterback to support Darnold would only be a positive, and after Saturday night’s game, the backup quarterback battle is closer than it’s been. Grier has provided himself a chance.
“Just being in the offense for two years helps ... you know going into camp, so you’re kind of working through the details and trying to get better, that’s been a huge benefit this year,” Grier said on his comfort. “The NFL, so much of it is getting in the right play, and not just being able to throw, but knowing where to throw the ball and then having an answer on every play. I feel like I’ve come a long way in that area.”
While the quarterback battle rages on, the rest of the offensive depth remains a concern. The Ravens’ defense did blitz often and show more than a base defense, which is not necessarily common, but it doesn’t solve the red zone issues. The area inside the opponent’s 20-yard line has been a problem this preseason — the team is now 1 of 7 through two games — repeating some of the trouble areas that plagued it in 2020. (You may have heard about Teddy Bridgewater’s thoughts regarding the Panthers’ practicing red zone and the two-minute drill.)
On the first drive with Darnold in the game, the Panthers ran the the ball on five of six plays in the red zone. On the final two plays, rookie running back Chuba Hubbard was given the football twice from the 1-yard line on third and fourth down for a net gain of negative two-yards and zero points.
“We were just gonna run our base stuff, we didn’t have the goal-line packages out there and all those different things,” Rhule said of the goal-line decision. “... We want our guys to get their pads down, we want Chuba to try and run through some contact and go score.
“... Even on fourth-and-1 during the season, maybe that’s a run-pass option or something. Right now, we’re trying to establish, can we get that yard or not? We didn’t get the yard tonight.”
Struggles also were apparent on third down. As a team, the Panthers finished 2 of 11 on third down, bringing the preseason total to 5 for 25. In the second half, the Panthers had 18 yards of offense and averaged 1.2 yards per play.
The depth along the offensive line has been a concern and remains one. Grier often had to get rid of the football quickly and the team averaged 1.9 yards per carry.
Not helping the Panthers’ protection issues is the lack of fullback on the roster. The team recently released veteran Rod Smith after having Mikey Daniel and Mason Stokke, an undrafted fullback out of Wisconsin, on the roster in camp. There are six tight ends trying to make the team, but not one fullback. Rhule said that adding a fullback on the roster would come down to “if we find the right one.”
Panthers general manager Scott Fitterer spoke this past week on how the back half of the roster is the area that distinguishes great teams from average teams. The quarterback battle may be a focus, but the rest of the offense, after the likes of Marshall and Hubbard left the game, put on full display the level of development needed.
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