Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
For the second straight outing, Panthers rookie QB Matt Corral couldn’t find himself much of a rhythm.
Most of the Carolina Panthers starters didn’t see the field at all in their second preseason game on Friday night. But that doesn’t mean we didn’t come away with some interesting bits from their 20-10 loss to the New England Patriots.
Here are the top takeaways from the exhibition defeat.
Panthers LT Ikem Ekwonu served up a big ol’ pancake during the first drive of Friday night’s game against the Patriots.
It’s not often you see highlights from offensive linemen. Heck, and it’s definitely not often you see them from Carolina Panthers offensive linemen.
But 2022 feels a little different for the often punchless group, particularly at the left tackle position.
There, on Friday night, sat Ikem Ekwonu—for what was the first of (hopefully) many starts on the blindside for the 2022 sixth overall pick. And he wasted almost no time letting everyone know, especially New England Patriots cornerback Jonathan Jones, that there’s a new hog molly in town.
During the very first series of the preseason tilt, Ekwonu played right through a rush from running back D’Onta Foreman and nearly pancaked Jones right through the turf.
ICKEY 😱 pic.twitter.com/RVEQ3Ors3M
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) August 19, 2022
Unfortunately for Ekwonu and quarterback PJ Walker, the drive didn’t go much of anywhere—stalling at their own 34-yard line after just four plays. But Jones did go somewhere—straight under a 320-pound monster and right into the shadow realm.
[lawrence-related id=656496,656468]
[listicle id=656489]
Tuesday was a day of fights for the Panthers—at LT, at QB and also a few literal ones with the Patriots.
The Carolina Panthers kicked off their first of two joint practices against the New England Patriots with a bang. Unfortunately, that bang might’ve come from one of the players’ fists.
Let’s run down the biggest takeaways from a contentious Tuesday in Foxboro, Mass.
Panthers HC Matt Rhule has seemingly rewarded the starting LT job to 2022 first-round pick Ikem Ekwonu.
Although he drafted offensive tackle Ikem Ekwonu to become the long-term left tackle this franchise has been waiting for, Carolina Panthers head coach Matt Rhule didn’t want to just give his first-round selection the job. He had to earn it.
And, apparently, he’s done exactly.
Following Tuesday’s joint practice with the New England Patriots, Rhule was asked about Ekwonu’s placement on the blindside—where he took all first-team reps over challenger Brady Christensen throughout the session. That, as he replied, was a result of the rookie taking control of the position.
“We wanted Ickey to play, put it on tape in a game before we put him with the 1’s,” Rhule said. “We wanted him to go in a game and play and then sorta earn it with his play. He played well in the game. And so these are valuable reps for him. So there were some plays that were good, probably. There were some plays that I know weren’t very good. He’s going against [Matthew] Judon, they got good players over there. So it’s good reps for him.”
Rhule was then asked if they’ll stick with Ick at the spot.
“Yeah, I think that’s where we are moving forward,” he replied. “I think Brady’s one of our most improved players on this team. So MJ [Michael Jordan], Brady—they’ll continue to battle it out. And Brady can also play out of left tackle.”
So, as of now, that’ll leave the Panthers with two more competitions to be settled on the offensive line—Christensen versus Jordan at left guard and Pat Elflein versus Bradley Bozeman at center.
[pickup_prop id=”23866″]
[lawrence-related id=656394,656397]
[listicle id=656347]
What did Saturday’s snap counts from the Panthers tell us about PJ Walker, Ikem Ekwonu and the team’s search for edge help?
The Carolina Panthers went in to FedEx Field for their first bit of preseason action on Saturday afternoon and came out with a win. But who came out with some personal wins of their own?
Perhaps the team’s snap counts can give us an idea.
Here are the snap count standouts from the 23-21 win over the Washington Commanders.
Did Baker Mayfield get closer to winning the Panthers’ QB competition following his strong preseason debut?
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.
Will Baker Mayfield continue to establish himself over Sam Darnold when the Panthers take on the Commanders?
The Carolina Panthers may be void of some wins since head coach Matt Rhule took over. But as they enter the 2022 campaign, they’re certainly not void of some interesting storylines.
Here are just a handful of those to keep an eye on for Saturday’s preseason matchup with the Washington Commanders.
Even in the face of trade rumors, the Panthers’ QB competition kicked into second gear on Monday.
The third week of training camp got off to a bit of an awkward start for the Carolina Panthers. Alas, the team’s quarterback competition entered its next stage—as we got some more clarity on how the position is panning out.
Here’s more on that and the rest of the top takeaways from the tenth outing from Spartanburg.
We heard from (and about) some notable Panthers linemen following Wednesday’s training camp outing.
On Wednesday, the Carolina Panthers resumed their second week of training camp at Wofford College. Here, with an emphasis on some of the hog mollies, are the biggest takeaways from the afternoon.
On Wednesday, Panthers HC Matt Rhule said rookie OT Ikem Ekwonu still has “a long way to go” in his development at this point in training camp.
Carolina Panthers head coach Matt Rhule is all about his players making the decisions for him this summer. And by that, he wants them to earn it.
He repeated that sentiment following Wednesday’s training camp practice, when asked about the development of 2022 first-round selection Ikem Ekwonu. Rhule noted that despite the promise his new gifted offensive tackle has, he still has to learn how to become a pro.
“To me, Ickey’s a rookie,” Rhule said. “He’s gotta earn everything he gets and he’s got a long way to go. He does some things really well naturally. He’s unbelievably powerful and talented. But there’s a lot to this game. And I see T-Mo [Taylor Moton] standing back there like, there’s a lot to this game. There’s a lot of nuances and techniques and all those things. He has a long way to go. He’ll get there. But every day, he’s gotta work.”
Rhule, of course, doesn’t mean Ekwonu has been a disappointment out of the gate. In fact, he’s been anything but.
He will, though, have to acclimate to the NFL level of play—something every rookie must endure at this stage. As he does, he’ll have Brady Christensen—who did the very same in 2021—in his way on the blindside.
And like Rhule’s already said, Ekwonu—just like quarterbacks Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold and Matt Corral—won’t be handed his keep. He’ll have to grab it.
[lawrence-related id=655626,655870]
[listicle id=655692]
