Tag: Donte Jackson

Panthers list 7 players as questionable, 3 doubtful to play vs. Lions

Panthers list 7 players as questionable, 3 doubtful to play vs. Lions this weekend.

At this rate, the Carolina Panthers may need to ask some fans to come down out of the stands and suit up on Sunday against the Detroit Lions. Starting quarterback Teddy Bridgewater is listed as questionable, as are six other players. Three key starters are doubtful to play, as well.

Here is the complete Carolina Week 11 injury report.

Player Injury Wed Thu Fri Status
RB Christian McCaffrey Shoulder DNP DNP DNP Out
G John Miller Knee/ankle DNP DNP DNP Doubtful
CB Donte Jackson Toe DNP DNP DNP Doubtful
LB Tahir Whitehead Rib DNP Limited Limited Questionable
QB Teddy Bridgewater Knee Limited Limited Limited Questionable
OT Russell Okung Calf Limited DNP DNP Doubtful
TE Chris Manhertz Shoulder Limited Limited Limited Questionable
S Sam Franklin Ankle Limited Limited Full Questionable
DE Yetur Gross-Matos Shoulder Limited Limited Limited Questionable
DE Marquis Haynes Shoulder Limited Limited Limited Questionable
RB Mike Davis Thumb Full Full Full –
CB Rasul Douglas Ankle – Full Limited Questionable

We may not find out who will start at QB until 90 minutes before kickoff when the inactives list comes out. Our best guess is that Bridgewater’s limited partcipation this week is a smokescreen and we will be seeing either P.J. Walker or Will Grier under center. Grier is our gut feeling, though. Walker probably has an equal chance to start. However, the team invested a third-round pick in Grier and may want to see where he’s at in his development in a live game setting.

At left tackle, the Panthers have tried Dennis Daley, Greg Little and Trent Scott, who’s flashed the most recently. It will be interesting to see who replaces Okung this time and how long they stay on the field.

If Miller can’t go, coach Matt Rhule will likely look to either Daley or Michael Schofield at right guard.

At cornerback, rookie Troy Pride Jr. will start in place of Jackson, which will likely be a problem as he attempts to cover the likes of Marvin Jones Jr. and Kenny Golladay outside. Pride has been the team’s most disappointing draft pick this year and Matt Stafford will probably test him more than Rasul Douglas, even if he’s not 100%. In any case, resting Jackson is the right decision and it’s also a month overdue.

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Panthers injury updates: Bridgewater ‘extremely’ limited, Okung downgraded

The Panthers look like they’ll be facing the Lions this weekend with several important pieces on the sidelines.

The Panthers look like they’ll be facing the Lions this weekend with several important pieces on the sidelines. Four players did not participate in today’s practice and starting quarterback Teddy Bridgewater remains limited.

Here is the team’s updated Week 11 injury report.

Player Injury Wed Thu Fri Status
RB Christian McCaffrey Shoulder DNP DNP
G John Miller Knee/ankle DNP DNP
CB Donte Jackson Toe DNP DNP
LB Tahir Whitehead Rib DNP Limited
QB Teddy Bridgewater Knee Limited Limited
OT Russell Okung Calf Limited DNP
TE Chris Manhertz Shoulder Limited Limited
S Sam Franklin Ankle Limited Limited
DE Yetur Gross-Matos Shoulder Limited Limited
DE Marquis Haynes Shoulder Limited Limited
RB Mike Davis Thumb Full Full
CB Rasul Douglas Ankle – Full

Coach Matt Rhule told the media today that Bridgewater is “extremely limited” right now. Also, there’s apparently more than one thing wrong with his knee. However, if No. 5 can play, he will.

If Bridgewater can’t go against Detroit, Rhule says he will likely wait until Saturday or Sunday to name a starter between backups Will Grier and P.J. Walker.

Aside from those two, players who should see larger roles this week include rookie corner Troy Pride Jr., slated to start for Donte Jackson so he can finally rest and fully recover from his lingering toe injury. Mike Davis will also naturally take Christian McCaffrey’s place in the lineup. If right guard John Miller is ruled out, Michael Schofield or Dennis Daley could take his spot. As for left tackle, it’s anybody’s guess.

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Panthers expect 3 of 4 ‘questionable’ designations to play vs. Saints

The Panthers listed four players as questionable on their injury report ahead of today’s game against the Saints.

The Panthers listed four players as questionable on their injury report ahead of today’s game against the Saints.

Good news: according to Ian Rapoport at NFL Network, three of them are expected to play: wide receiver Curtis Samuel and cornerbacks Eli Apple and Donte Jackson.

The odd man out is starting right guard John Miller. He missed practice on both Thursday and Friday and it seems like “doubtful” would be a more appropriate designation for him.

As for who might replace Miller in the lineup if he can’t play, it’s difficult to say. Carolina is down two interior backups with Tyler Larsen and Michael Schofield on the reserve/COVID-19 list.

One option is undrafted rookie Mike Horton, who was activated from the practice squad yesterday along with wide receiver Marken Michel. Second-year guard Dennis Daley is another potential replacement and our best guess as to who would start in Miller’s place.

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Panthers cornerbacks depth chart in flux vs. Saints

The Carolina Panthers are short-handed at cornerback against the New Orleans Saints, They might have to start Eli Apple, who is questionable

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The New Orleans Saints might not have Michael Thomas back at wide receiver in Week 7 against the Carolina Panthers, but it could end up not mattering. The Panthers cornerbacks situation is in a rough state, setting up Saints wideouts Emmanuel Sanders and Tre’Quan Smith for another big day at the office.

On Friday, the Panthers placed starting corner Rasul Douglas on the COVID-19 reserve list after he missed Thursday’s practice session for non-injury reasons. This will keep Douglas out of action for Sunday’s kickoff, which is a problem: he leads Carolina’s cornerbacks in defensive snaps played (369).

Additionally, both Eli Apple and Donte Jackson are questionable to play with hamstring and knee injuries. Apple still hasn’t taken a snap on defense after getting hurt and missing time. Jackson has only been in on 185 plays on defense this year. Troy Pride Jr. (212 snaps) and Corn Elder (146) are the only other Panthers corners to even get on the field through six weeks.

That makes for a young, inexperienced group that the Saints know how to beat. Sanders went into the bye week after posting one of his best-ever stat lines in the NFL. Smith has been working against Apple in practice for years when they were teammates in New Orleans. It’s a favorable matchup any way you slice it; let’s see if the Saints can take advantage of that.

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Panthers injury updates: Donte Jackson, Eli Apple questionable vs. Saints

Here’s the team’s complete Week 7 injury report.

The Carolina Panthers may be extremely thin at cornerback when they face the New Orleans Saints this weekend. Rasul Douglas has just been placed on the team’s reserve/COVID-19 list and two other corners are questionable.

Here’s the team’s complete Week 7 injury report.

Player Injury Wed Thu Fri Status
WR Curtis Samuel Knee Limited Limited Limited Questionable
DT Zach Kerr Toe Limited Limited Full –
CB Donte Jackson Toe Limited Limited Limited Questionable
G John Miller Ankle Limited DNP DNP Questionable
CB Eli Apple Hamstring Full Full Full Questionable
RB Mike Davis Ankle Full Full Full –
RB Trenton Cannon Neck Full Full Full –
CB Rasul Douglas NRI – DNP Full –
K Joey Slye NRI Full –
OT Trent Scott NRI Full –

Donte Jackson and Eli Apple have both been limited by injuries all season. They are questionable against New Orleans, but it sounds like both are expected to play. Even if they do, expect Troy Pride Jr. to get a lot of snaps. We may also finally get to see seventh-rounder Stantley Thomas-Oliver III get some playing time on defense.

While Douglas being unavailable for Sunday’s game is an unqualified bummer, Joey Slye and Trent Scott being activated from it helps, at least.

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Panthers CB Donte Jackson (toe) questionable to return vs. Falcons

Apparently, he reaggravated it again today and is now questionable to return against the Falcons.

The Panthers defense is off to another rough start in Atlanta against the Falcons. They got dominated at the line of scrimmage on the first drive and wound up giving up an easy touchdown run to Todd Gurley. They’re also hurting on the back end.

Cornerback Donte Jackson has been bothered by pain in his toe all season since he injured it early Week 1 against the Raiders. Apparently, he reaggravated it again today and is now questionable to return against the Falcons.

Rookie Troy Pride Jr. has taken Jackson’s place in the lineup. Atlanta leads 7-0 halfway through the first quarter.

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Analysis: Where does Eli Apple fit into the Panthers’ cornerback rotation?

After three weeks on the injured reserve list, the Carolina Panthers activated cornerback Eli Apple early Saturday morning.

After three weeks on the injured reserve list, the Carolina Panthers activated cornerback Eli Apple early Saturday morning. Under normal circumstances, Apple would be gearing up for a full game of starting cornerback duties opposite Donte Jackson. Now, his role is less clear.

So far, Carolina’s secondary has significantly outperformed the pre-season projections that ranked them as the second-to-worst unit in the league heading into 2020. That started with the improvement of third-year cornerback Donte Jackson, who has two interceptions and has only allowed a 64.7 passer rating when targeted, down from over 100 last year.

However, most of the offseason concern was about the other side of the defense, where no clear starter had emerged until very recently. The late arrival and early returns on Rasul Douglas have changed everything.

Douglas was thrown into the fire fast after Jackson suffered a toe injury early in Week 1 against the Raiders. The fourth-year corner came in and balled out despite having only a few days to learn the defense. He deflected two passes and made a few key tackles in his debut. Douglas has kept up the good work and is currently ranked among the league’s top-10 cornerbacks by Pro Football Focus going into Week 4.

Given the team’s success in the secondary so far, Apple’s role is more in question than when he first signed. We had projected him as the starter before Douglas was picked up. Now, we’re expecting Eli to play a backup role as he works his way into the rotation.

It would be foolish to take away Douglas’ starting job given how he’s performed from Weeks 1-3, and just as silly to pull Jackson given his hot start. Perhaps the injury to Apple was a blessing-in-disguise for the depth chart, since the Panthers are now faced with a good problem: having three starting-caliber outside corners on the roster.

This week’s matchup with an injury-plagued Cardinals team seems favorable for Carolina to keep the surprise momentum going, with two of Arizona’s top receivers in DeAndre Hopkins (ankle) and Christian Kirk (groin) listed as game-time decisions on their final injury report.

For now, expect to see Douglas keep his place in the starting lineup, but don’t be surprised if Apple steps in if either Jackson or Douglas has a rough game.

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Panthers Highlights: 5 promising plays from the defense vs. Chargers

Panthers Highlights: 5 promising plays from the defense vs. Chargers

This Panthers defense was supposed to be the worst in the NFL this season. That may yet prove to be true, but so far the numbers and the tape suggest there are several defenses that are playing much worse than this one. Also, we saw several signs of progress in this past week’s upset road win over the Chargers, including an improved pass rush and some timely takeaways.

Here are five promising defensive plays we saw during the Week 3 victory.

DE Brian Burns’ strip sack

Carolina’s defensive line came to life against the Chargers, getting consistent pressure on rookie quarterback Justin Herbert. Burns was in Herbert’s grill all afternoon, starting with this strip sack.

DT Derrick Brown’s early TFL

The team’s top-10 draft pick flashed in run defense several times, totaling three tackles for a loss. Here’s another angle on his first.

LB/DB Jeremy Chinn shuts down a screen

Chinn has had some issues in coverage and has missed a few tackles, but overall he’s defended at a very high level for a rookie. He played every defensive snap against LA, including this one when he shut down a screen pass for Austin Ekeler.

S Juston Burris blows a play up in the backfield

Here’s a well-timed safety blitz by Burris. He reads the play and blows it up in the backfield, resulting in a huge loss for the Chargers.

CB Donte Jackson’s pick

Here Herbert just simply misread the defense, leading to a relatively easy pick for Donte Jackson.

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Panthers defense finally steps up in team’s first win in 11 games

Carolina Panthers defense steps up in team’s first win in 11 games going back to 2019 season.

Through their first two games of 2020, the Carolina Panthers defense had a bend-but-don’t-break dynamic going on. There was also a whole lot of don’t-do-much-of-anything, though.

Just two takeaways, zero sacks and not a timely stop to speak of beset the unit in Carolina’s first two losses to Las Vegas and Tampa Bay. They didn’t completely implode in either contest, which was impressive given their youth and drastic personnel turnover rate, but the big plays were essentially non-existent.

That changed on Sunday.

Carolina’s 21-16 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers, their first win since Week 9 of 2019 (yes, you read that correctly), was headlined by seized opportunities on defense. Perhaps, with the Ron Rivera era behind us, we can call those “un-missed opportunities?”

Whatever you call them, the clutch stops began early with edge rusher extraordinaire Brian Burns. The second-year defensive end forced a fumble off rookie quarterback Justin Herbert midway through the first quarter. Burns’ dirty work halted a drive near midfield and helped set up an early 6-0 lead.

The Chargers fumbled again later, as linebacker Shaq Thompson kneed the ball out of the grasp of running back Joshua Kelley from behind. Not exactly a “Peanut Punch,” the seemingly accidental strike and subsequent forced fumble set Carolina up at their own 43-yard line.

Three minutes and 57 seconds later, Christian McCaffrey-replacement Mike Davis hit the end zone on a reception from 13 yards out to stretch the lead to 15-7 at the 3:02 mark of the second quarter.

The Panthers didn’t waste those final three minutes of the half either, as cornerback Donte Jackson picked off Herbert on the ensuing possession. Jackson’s 66-yard return left Carolina on the Los Angeles eight-yard line. They closed the half with a chip-shot field goal and an 11-point lead.

When they returned to the field for the second half, rookie linebacker Jeremy Chinn broke out again.

Like Burns, Chinn has proven he’s got a bright future. Chinn ranked second only to Thompson (13) with 12 total tackles on the afternoon. Chinn now has 20 tackles through three games and has made an impression with his athleticism and versatility.

On offense there weren’t any shocking developments. This performance just reinforced the fact that, even with the most dangerous group of weapons they’ve had in quite some time, they have their limits.

That’s due to the limits of QB Teddy Bridgewater. It’s not that he can’t throw downfield, as evidenced by his 38-yard connection with DJ Moore, it’s that he and offensive coordinator Joe Brady seem reluctant to do so.

Take their possession at the end of the first half, for instance. Rather than take a quick shot at a receiver in the end zone from the eight-yard line with eight seconds left, Bridgewater dumped off to Robby Anderson at the four-yard line. Eight seconds is certainly more than enough time to at least take your one shot at a touchdown before you settle for three points.

Offenses go as their QBs go. Although he’s solid option and a guy who won’t hand the opposition the game with poor play, Bridgewater doesn’t exactly go above and beyond. He’s not, as Panthers fans have seen in the nine years previous, a Cam Newton type that can drag a fundamentally-flawed roster kicking and screaming to a victory.

But Bridgewater will usually keep you afloat, as he did on Sunday. He was efficient (22-of-28), drew the defense offsides with his cadence a few times and didn’t offer the Chargers any giveaways to catapult themselves back into contention.

Regardless, it’s time to celebrate. Congratulations to head coach Matt Rhule and his staff on their first win and congratulations to the franchise for their first victory in *checks notes* 329 days!

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Winners and losers from the Panthers’ 21-16 win over the Chargers

Here are four winners and four losers from the team’s first win in 11 games.

After a disappointing 0-2 start to the season, the Panthers turned things around against the Chargers, earning a close 21-16 victory.

Here are four winners and four losers from the team’s first win in 11 games.

Winner: Panthers defensive line

Carolina’s defense started the day strong when defensive end Marquis Haynes got the team’s first sack of the season. Brian Burns followed up with relentless pressure all game, Derrick Brown pitched in three tackles for a loss and the team totaled seven hits on Justin Herbert. Add it all up and and you’ve got the best performance of the season from Phil Snow’s young defensive unit. The pass rush has underwhelming Weeks 1-2, so this was a refreshing change of pace. Hopefully they can keep it up.

Loser: Red zone offense

Even with amazing field position on almost all of the team’s drives, the Panthers offense was mostly only able to create chip shot opportunities for kicker Joey Slye instead of scoring touchdowns. If they had been able to convert more often inside the 20, the final score wouldn’t have been nearly as close as it was. They need to execute better in this area.

Winner: K Joey Slye

Slye saw plenty of action this week thanks to those failures in the red zone and he came through. Slye wound up going 5/5 on his field goal kicks. His only extra point attempt was blocked but that wasn’t Slye’s fault.

Loser: WR D.J. Moore

Aside from a single deep catch, Moore was virtually a non-factor on Sunday afternoon. Although he technically remains the team’s WR1, Robby Anderson has been a more consistent producer through three weeks of this season. Moore finished the game with just two catches, though they translated into 65 yards.

Winner: CB Donte Jackson

Jackson now has interceptions in two consecutive games, picking off both Tom Brady and Justin Herbert. Unfortunately, Jackson left the game with a toe injury, so that’s something we will be keeping an eye on as he tries to go for three in a row against Kyler Murray.

Loser: Third down

Going just 3/12 on third down usually won’t have a win attached to it. Luckily, the Panthers didn’t need to sustain long drives on offense to score points, thanks to the defense’s stellar performance and some mistakes by the Chargers. They don’t want to try this two weeks in a row, though.

Winner: RB Mike Davis

With Christian McCaffrey going on injured reserve this week, it was clear that the offense would need somebody else to step up. Veteran running back Mike Davis answered the call and made the most of his starting gig, rushing for 46 yards and adding 45 more off eight receptions. Davis also scored a touchdown off a screen pass by Teddy Bridgewater, breaking multiple tackles on the 13-yard catch-and-run.

Loser: Panthers left tackles

With Russell Okung out due to a groin injury, Carolina decided to rotate two of their left tackles today, switching out Greg Little and Trent Scott throughout the game. Let’s just say Okung doesn’t need to worry about either one taking his job for now. Neither one could slow down Joey Bosa.

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