Even though it was just a preseason contest for the Carolina Panthers, Saturday afternoon’s game against the Washington Commanders began to look a lot like a loss from 2021. But, fortunately for those who care about exhibition dubs, it didn’t end up as one.
It ended up, rather, with a 23-21 win and a handful of intriguing takeaways. So, here they are.
QB competition starts on a positive note
With the quarterback competition shifting into its latest gear, both Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold had smooth drives behind the wheel on Saturday.
The afternoon began with the new guy, who completed four of his seven attempts for 45 yards en route to a 41-yard field goal from Zane Gonzalez. For a passer still picking up an elaborate offense and the chemistry with his targets, Mayfield looked solid—standing confidently in the pocket and delivering strikes throughout the 13-play possession.
Not to be outdone or overlooked, Darnold made the most out of what he was given. A fumble recovery set the Panthers up at the Commanders’ 19-yard line, where Darnold would proceed to complete a pretty 8-yard floater to Rashard Higgins in the end zone.
He would come back out for a second series, only to be forced to a three-and-out capped off by a smart throwaway in the face of immense pressure. Darnold finished his outing completing two of his three throws for 16 yards and the score.
While neither man won the day over the other, neither did anything to lose it. So, we leave this portion of the battle where we came in on it—with Mayfield as the favorite.
Ikem Ekwonu still has to earn it
Carolina’s other high-profile battle sits just in front of the aforementioned one—at left tackle. And this competition saw the perceived underdog, Brady Christensen, get the first preseason crack.
The Panthers’ starting offensive line consisted of Christensen on the blindside, Michael Jordan at left guard, Pat Elflein at center, Austin Corbett at right guard and Taylor Moton at right tackle. Ekwonu would later come in on Darnold’s group—with Christensen kicking in to left guard, Bradley Bozeman subbing in for Elflein, Jordan shifting to right guard and Cameron Erving taking over all the way to the right.
2022’s sixth overall pick held up rather well following a shaky first couple of snaps. But it’s still clear that head coach Matt Rhule wants Ekwonu to win the job and not have it given to him.
Amaré Barno makes a quick impact
From one rookie to another, Barno made his presence felt early and often.
The sixth-rounder introduced himself on Washington’s second touch of the game, when he scooped up a forced fumble courtesy of teammate Jeremy Chinn. He’d later help close up the first half by applying pressure to Commanders quarterback Taylor Heinicke, who lofted an interception into the waiting hands of cornerback Duke Dawson.
Although Yetur Gross-Matos will likely be starting opposite Brian Burns come Week 1, the Panthers defense still needs to figure out how they’ll replace the production of the departed Haason Reddick. Barno and his gamebreaking speed, which he put on display here, could very well be apart of that effort.
Matt Corral has a rough debut
We had to sit through 23 reps from PJ Walker, but we finally got our first look at Corral on an NFL field. Unfortunately, that field didn’t treat him too kindly.
The third-rounder could never get settled in, as he had to evade constant pressure from the Washington defense. And when he did, he had difficulty connecting—having completed just one of his nine throws.
What also didn’t help was the performance from fellow rookie Sam Howell, who was drafted two rounds after Corral. The University of North Carolina kid dragged the Commanders back into contention, throwing for a game-high 143 yards with two rushing touchdowns.
As for Walker, who was likely out there for an audition, he hit on 10 of his 19 chucks for 136 yards.
