Welp, that wasn’t the inspiring start of a new era we were looking for, was it?
The Carolina Panthers were silenced by the New York Jets at Bank of America Stadium on Saturday, taking a 27-0 loss to kick off their 2023 preseason.
So, as we try to shake off that stinky stand, let’s sort out the studs and duds from the disappointing result.
Stud: QB Bryce Young
Young was as advertised—even in his limited appearance.
His numbers, like almost any brief preseason outing, are trivial. He completed four of his throws for 21 yards, including an 8-yard connection to wideout Adam Thielen for a first down.
What’s more important was how the No. 1 overall pick looked. And in the face of constant pressure from a talented Jets defense, the 22-year-old was impressively cool, calm and collected throughout.
Dud: LT Ikem Ekwonu
Young’s debut was soured by an overwhelmed offensive line—and unfortunately, it was his fellow first-rounder who ended up being one of two primary suspects.
Ekwonu had a hand in the two punishing pressures of the rookie quarterback from the opening drive. He allowed his assignment, Solomon Thomas, to touch up Young on the first pop and was beat by linebacker Jermaine Johnson on the second.
Stud: RB Spencer Brown
When you tally all of 0 points and 199 yards, you’re not going to have much to write home about when it comes to your offense. Nonetheless, someone had to lead the way—and it was Brown.
Brown, who looked rather sharp, rushed for a team-high 34 yards on eight carries. He saw seven more attempts than Raheem Blackshear, perhaps his main competition on the depth chart.
Dud: G Michael Jordan
Joining Ickey in an icky outing is Jordan.
The backup lineman was responsible for the sack of Young, a 9-yard loss that wrapped up the rook’s afternoon. He also put a fork in one of Matt Corral’s drives, picking up a false start and giving way to a strip sack on back-to-back plays in the third quarter.
Stud: WR Derek Wright
Wright led the Panthers in receiving on the listless day. He reeled in three balls for 35 yards, all courtesy of Corral.
Duds: Starting defense
The Panthers’ first-team defense was without Pro Bowl pass rushers Brian Burns and Justin Houston, and it showed.
In their lone drive of the afternoon, the unit allowed Jets backup quarterback Zach Wilson to complete four of his six throws for 60 yards. Running back Michael Carter had his way on the touch as well, rushing for 13 yards on three carries and picking up 24 more yards on a costly dump-off.
Carolina’s lack of pressure may continue to be a haunting theme if options outside of Burns and Houston don’t step up.
