[feature_headline type=”center” level=”h3″ looks_like=”h3″ icon=”exclamation”]WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
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- WR Kelvin Benjamin had his worst preseason game, but he was still arguably the best player on the field. The first-round pick dropped a contested pass from Anderson in the end zone, yet he led all receivers with four receptions and 56 yards. Head coach Ron Rivera wanted to get the rookie snaps, but leaving Benjamin in for 25 plays was a gamble by Riverboat that could have gone horribly wrong.
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OBSERVATIONS
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- Derek Anderson wasn’t sharp (8/14, 98 yards), but his lack of sleep was a good excuse; had a scare when he had his hand rolled up on while chasing an errant snap, but X-rays came back negative.
- Joe Webb again showed why he’s worth keeping around, connecting on eight of his 11 attempts for 116 yards.
- Fozzy Whittaker was a workhorse and likely sealed up a spot on the roster come Saturday with a touchdown and 91 yards on 23 carries; Whittaker’s previous high in carries as a pro came with the Chargers when he had 14 on 8/8/13; his most carries in college was on 10/17/09 when he had 18 for Texas against Oklahoma.
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[feature_headline type=”center” level=”h3″ looks_like=”h3″ icon=”comments”]QUOTES TO NOTE
[gap size=”1.913em”][accordion_item title=”Head Coach Ron Rivera”]On Derek Anderson’s injury and Joe Webb’s play:
“It was a little scary for a second. He bruised his hand. We wanted to make sure. He went and got an x-ray. The x-ray was negative. We were very pleased with what Joe Webb did. Joe came in and just battled for us and he did some really good things, and he continues to do really good things. The quarterback position plays today were pretty efficient, and it was pretty effective.”
Why Kelvin Benjamin played well into the second quarter:
“We wanted Kelvin to get some good reps. We wanted to give him the opportunity to get good plays … I guess it’s a little risky, but he has to learn. If he doesn’t learn now, he’s going to have to learn while we are running and we don’t want that.”
On Fozzy Whittaker’s night:
“He is showing toughness. He got bumped a little bit, but he stuck it out. He did a heck of a job in terms of just going out there, making the tough runs and the tough plays. He finished with 21carries for 87 yards. That was impressive. He has done a great job for us.”
When asked about Cam Newton’s mood Thursday:
“Anxious. He came out and got a little stretch in. Then he got a little exercise run on the field. It’s going to be interesting to see how he is tomorrow and then on Saturday when we come together as a team.”
Which players were impressive:
“Fozzy Whittaker did some really nice things. He really did. He did flash. There are some guys on the offensive line that really played well and stepped up. They did some nice things. We’ll take a look at that tape and really evaluate some of those young guys. Andrew Norwell really comes to mind in terms of offensive lineman. He’s a tough physical kid. Brandon Williams continues to make plays. We’re happy with him. Colin Jones on the defensive side I thought played a good game for his snaps earlier in the game. I thought Carrington Byndom showed up. He hadn’t had a lot of opportunities. We thought this would be a good game to play him a lot so we played him some extended minutes purely to see what he can do. He did a nice a job for us. I was pretty excited about that.”
When asked if he will comfortable with Philly Brown as the Panthers’ returner going into Week 1?
“Yes, without a doubt. That’s why he’s here. He’s going to have to make those plays and make those things happen. He has to practice.”
On having the starting secondary together in a game for the first time this preseason:
“It was very good to see them all together out there. I really liked the communication. I liked that they anticipated things really well. I thought they handled it really well. They really brought a good energy to the group.”
[accordion_item title=”QB Derek Anderson”]On his banged-up right hand:
“It’s alright. It got stepped on.”
How much sleep he got Wednesday night:
“About an hour and a half last night. It was new to us, so I was trying to help. There is some stuff we didn’t know what to do. We had some trouble feeding her [daughter] last night. The nurse was trying to help a little bit. I finally fell asleep at 5:45 a.m. The nutritionist woke me up. I was clueless. I did not realize where I was at. It was worth it. Obviously, I’ll go home and hope to get a good night’s sleep tonight.”
When asked about the support of his teammates and organization over the past week:
“I really do appreciate everybody’s texts and calls. It was pretty cool. Obviously this is special for me. It shows that they care about you. To be able to be there, and for the team to let me do that and then come here was special. It was a little different. Hopefully I don’t have to that again. Hopefully it isn’t during a regular-season game. But it was special.”
[accordion_item title=”QB Joe Webb”]When asked about his role as the last QB standing Thursday:
“I’ve been in that situation before back in Minnesota when Tarvaris Jackson went down. I think we handled it pretty well. We came up with the victory. That’s the most important thing.”
On running back Fozzy Whittaker:
“Fozzy did a great job especially in the fourth quarter, lining up getting the first downs, keeping the chains moving. Everyone did a great job. Our offensive line did a great job blocking up front, tight ends, wide receivers.”
[/accordion][feature_headline type=”center” level=”h3″ looks_like=”h3″ icon=”video-camera”]HIGHLIGHTS
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[feature_headline type=”center” level=”h3″ looks_like=”h3″ icon=”picture-o”]PHOTOS
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[feature_headline type=”center” level=”h3″ looks_like=”h3″ icon=”pencil”]GAME STORY
Cam Newton plans to have a very different view the next time he sees the Steelers.The Panthers star, however, is OK if it ends with the same result he watched Thursday.
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[feature_headline type=”center” level=”h3″ looks_like=”h3″ icon=”list-ol”]FINAL STATS
Click to see individual and team stats.
