Through two weeks of camp and a preseason game, the battle for the Carolina Panthers’ second starting defensive end spot remains stagnant.
With Charles Johnson back in Charlotte resting a sore calf Friday night, Frank Alexander, Kony Ealy, Mario Addison and Wes Horton had plenty of opportunities to stand out against the Bills.
They combined to play 109 snaps. They totaled three tackles, no sacks and one quarterback hurry.
“I’m disappointed. I was kind of hoping for a little bit more, and we didn’t get it,” coach Ron Rivera said. “We got a lot out of the young guys. I thought the guys who played the fourth quarter really stepped up, but I’m disappointed in what we had from our defensive line going into the second quarter.”
Undrafted free agents Rakim Cox, Arthur Miley and Steve Miller had some nice moments, but those came in the second half. Against Buffalo’s starters and top backups, the Panthers’ pass rush was nearly nonexistent.
“I’m disappointed, too,” Alexander said. “I know I could play better. I feel like I could have been rushing better, played the cut block better. I was getting cut a lot, and the ball was getting on the outside of us.”[vc_raw_html]JTNDaWZyYW1lJTIwc3JjJTNEJTIyaHR0cHMlM0ElMkYlMkZ2aW5lLmNvJTJGdiUyRmVwMVVoMGhYWWRxJTJGZW1iZWQlMkZzaW1wbGUlMjIlMjB3aWR0aCUzRCUyMjYwMCUyMiUyMGhlaWdodCUzRCUyMjYwMCUyMiUyMGZyYW1lYm9yZGVyJTNEJTIyMCUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRmlmcmFtZSUzRSUzQ3NjcmlwdCUyMHNyYyUzRCUyMmh0dHBzJTNBJTJGJTJGcGxhdGZvcm0udmluZS5jbyUyRnN0YXRpYyUyRnNjcmlwdHMlMkZlbWJlZC5qcyUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRnNjcmlwdCUzRQ==[/vc_raw_html]After barely laying a hand on Matt Cassel in the first quarter, Carolina couldn’t contain Tyrod Taylor, who rushed for 47 yards on six carries.
“He kind of got us off balance. It’s about being disciplined and being where you need to be and get a quarterback where you can put yourself in position, and we didn’t do a good job of doing that,” Rivera said.
For what it’s worth, Addison appeared to provide the best push in the opening half. But like the competition to start across from Johnson, the results lacked a good ending:[vc_raw_html]JTNDaWZyYW1lJTIwc3JjJTNEJTIyaHR0cHMlM0ElMkYlMkZ2aW5lLmNvJTJGdiUyRmVwMVB1cktGcUJCJTJGZW1iZWQlMkZzaW1wbGUlMjIlMjB3aWR0aCUzRCUyMjYwMCUyMiUyMGhlaWdodCUzRCUyMjYwMCUyMiUyMGZyYW1lYm9yZGVyJTNEJTIyMCUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRmlmcmFtZSUzRSUzQ3NjcmlwdCUyMHNyYyUzRCUyMmh0dHBzJTNBJTJGJTJGcGxhdGZvcm0udmluZS5jbyUyRnN0YXRpYyUyRnNjcmlwdHMlMkZlbWJlZC5qcyUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRnNjcmlwdCUzRQ==[/vc_raw_html][vc_raw_html]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[/vc_raw_html]