Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
Panthers RB Miles Sanders earned his highest PFF grade of the season for his efficient Week 14 performance.
The Carolina Panthers recorded a grand total of zero touchdowns in their 28-6 loss to the New Orleans Saints on Sunday afternoon. But, in a bit of a surprise, a few of their offensive players impressed the film buffs.
Oh, and some didn’t.
Here are the best and worst Pro Football Focus grades from the Week 14 defeat:
Panthers interim HC Chris Tabor said he expects to see the same starting guard combination from last week.
Meet Sunday’s two starting guards, same as last week’s two starting guards.
Carolina Panthers interim head coach Chris Tabor told reporters on Friday that he expects offensive linemen Justin McCray and Nash Jensen to get the starting nods at the guard positions in Week 14. Both started against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last week, with McCray lining up on the left and Jensen on right.
“Yeah, 100 percent,” Tabor said when asked if he’s confident in what they have at their disposal. “We’d be perfectly fine with those guys playin’ in there and givin’ us a chance to win.”
Week 13 marked the first starts of the 2023 campaign for McCray and Jensen, with the latter getting the very first start of his NFL career. The duo, however, did not fare well according to Pro Football Focus—who gave them the two lowest overall offensive grades for the Panthers.
Tabor also acknowledged that he’d be comfortable if Gabe Jackson, who signed to the team’s practice squad last week, had to play.
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How did Panthers CB Jaycee Horn fare in the first game back from his hamstring injury?
The Carolina Panthers welcomed a handful of key defenders back against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday. But how did they factor into the eventual 21-18 loss?
Here are the top takeaways from Week 13’s snap counts:
Panthers DT Derrick Brown notched a season-high seven pressures in Week 13.
Who chopped the most wood in Sunday’s loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers?
Here are the best and worst Pro Football Focus grades for the Carolina Panthers in Week 13:
Bryce Young still finished with one of the best offensive grades for the Panthers in Sunday’s loss to the Titans.
We usually put these things out much earlier in the day. But, uh, a few things kinda sorta happened this morning.
Anyway, here are the best and worst Pro Football Focus grades for the Carolina Panthers in their Week 12 loss to the Tennessee Titans.
The Panthers will start Brett Toth at RG in Week 12.
The Carolina Panthers’ plan at right guard has finally been revealed, and it’s a bit of a shocker.
With Austin Corbett out for the remainder of the season due to an MCL injury, Brett Toth—who was signed back on Oct. 24—will get the starting nod this afternoon against the Tennessee Titans. The team also announced that Cade Mays, the perceived favorite to overtake Corbett’s duties, and Nash Jensen are active for the contest.
Carolina, additionally, is expected to start cornerback David Long Jr. alongside Donte Jackson. Jaycee Horn (hamstring) and CJ Henderson (concussion) have been ruled out and did not travel with the team to Nashville.
Fellow cornerback Lamar Jackson was elevated from the practice squad yesterday to provide some depth at the position.
Here is the full list of inactives for the Panthers today:
And as for the host Titans:
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Eight players on the Panthers’ active roster donned new digits on Wednesday.
While we were busy putting much of our attention on Brian Burns and his fellow team captains, quite a few Carolina Panthers debuted some new digits on Wednesday.
Here are the uniform number updates for eight of the active roster’s players:
Friday night’s battle at right guard was highlighted by a pair of Panthers rookies.
Preseason games don’t count, but the snaps do. Just ask Bryce Young.
So, let’s see what we can take away from the Carolina Panthers’ snap totals from their loss to the New York Giants.
Panthers HC Frank Reich said a decision at right guard could be made within the next week.
Who is going to be Austin Corbett’s temporary replacement at right guard? Well, we may finally find out around this time next week.
Carolina Panthers head coach Frank Reich spoke to reporters following Monday’s practice. When asked about figuring out their starting offensive line, he offered a possible timeframe for a decision.
“That offense—you need that chemistry, you need to get going,” he said. “But at the same time, we need to figure out who those five guys are gonna be, and it is a competitive battle inside. We’ll just continue to work towards that final five. I think here, in the next week, it should come to—hopefully—a conclusion.”
Saturday’s showing in the preseason opener didn’t provide much hope for the entire unit—let alone the one spot. Carolina allowed eight quarterback hits and five sacks in the disappointing 27-0 loss to the New York Jets
Nonetheless, Reich believes that the performance shouldn’t take away from what his hog mollies have done over the entirety of the offseason.
“Obviously, just gettin’ more consistent,” he said of what he’s looking for in the ongoing competition. “I feel like there’s been so much positive—throughout the whole OTAs and throughout all of training camp. We feel like our O-line is a strength for us. As we’re working to build that chemistry and build who that starting five is—Saturday was not a good day for us as a team. It was not a good day upfront. But that doesn’t make me waver at all in my belief in our offensive line and who we are.”
Candidates for the job may include 2022 sixth-round pick Cade Mays, veterans Justin McCray and Deonte Brown and rookies Chandler Zavala and Nash Jensen.
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Panthers undrafted rookie G Nash Jensen: I’m here to take somebody’s job. So (I’ve) just got to come out here and compete every day
As an undrafted rookie, Carolina Panthers guard Nash Jensen faced an uphill battle right when he stepped foot in Spartanburg, S.C. this summer. But that didn’t stop him from climbing.
The 24-year-old hog molly—who’s been earning every bit of that title and some first-team reps—was the subject of a new profile by Augusta Stone over at Panthers.com. And Jansen, just like the hog mollies before him, has quickly built up a deep respect for offensive line coach James Campen.
“I love him,” Jensen said, via Stone. “I think he’s the biggest character for an O-line coach I’ve ever had. But I love him. I remember my first talks with him during the draft process. I knew as soon as I talked to him, especially during draft day, that I wanted to come be a Panther and play for him. So I hope I get to stay here for a long time with him.”
To stay with Campen, Jensen could claim one of 53 roster spots by month’s end. And if that’s not the case, he could sign on to the team’s practice squad if he clears waivers following the big 37-man cutdown.
But given Jensen’s summer performance and the league-wide need for offensive line depth, the Panthers may need to give the North Dakota State product a jersey on Aug. 29. Oh, and his attitude is pretty good, too—especially in the midst of a battle at the right guard position.
“Everybody’s trying to win a job, trying to put food on the table for their families,” Jensen said. “I’m here to take somebody’s job. So (I’ve) just got to come out here and compete every day.”
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