Will Grier, the rookie quarterback out of West Virginia, will be getting his first NFL start when the Panthers travel to Lucas Oil Stadium to face off against the Colts. He will be replacing Kyle Allen who has struggled in recent weeks.
Allen was under center since week 3 When Cam Newton went out with a foot injury. Allen is an accurate passer who really spread the ball for everyone on offense, something players and even coaches loved.
His success though seemed to be a flash in the pan and now the Panthers are trying to decide what to do at quarterback for the future. Insert the rookie Grier.
Granted this move may just be a shot in the dark to see if there is any value in their third-round pick. That being said, just because Grier may be a long shot does not mean he should be pushed to the side.
In his senior season at West Virginia, Grier completed 67% of his passes for 3864 yards and 37 touchdowns. His pocket awareness and surprisingly big arm were perfect for a high flying Big 12 offense like the Mountaineers.
He throws a very accurate and nice deep ball, which could be an issue for the Colts secondary. As we saw a few weeks ago against Houston and Tampa Bay, fast receivers can beat Indy’s secondary for large chunks of yards.
The answer to shutting down Grier before he even begins? Pass rush. The Colts front four have to get after Grier and force him to be uncomfortable in his first start. Hopefully, that will force him to rush throws and even turn the ball over.
With Denico Autry out, it will be vital that Jabaal Sheard and Justin Houston step up as veteran members of this defense.
Grier is a talented player who has a lot to prove in these final two games. He has a chance to ball out and be the Panthers quarterback for the foreseeable future, but the Colts have a chance to make sure that doesn’t happen this Sunday. Hopefully, the Colts can spoil the rookie’s first start and win a game for the first time in four weeks.