11 Notes to Recap the Panthers Preseason Finale

Bill VothNewsLeave a Comment

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  1. QB Derek Anderson should be ok. He had his hand rolled up on while chasing a bad snap in the second quarter, but X-rays were negative.
  2. Anderson started despite getting an hour and a half of sleep Wednesday night. He said he went to bed at 5:45 a.m. after his wife had delivered their first child, a daughter named Amelia.
  3. RB Fozzy Whittaker carried the offense, gaining 91 yards on 23 carries — his most as a pro, and more than he ever had in four seasons at Texas. Whittaker scored the game’s only touchdown on a two-yard run in the third quarter. The 25-year-old signed with the Panthers as a free agent last month, and he’s earned a spot behind DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart.
  4. Screen Shot 2014-08-28 at 8.37.23 PMWR 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.
  5. Offensive starters who played at least a series: FB Mike Tolbert, Benjamin, WR Jerricho Cotchery, LT Byron Bell, LG Amini Silatolu, RT Nate Chandler.
  6. Offensive starters who didn’t play: QB Cam Newton (ribs), Williams (rest), TE Greg Olsen (personal), C Ryan Kalil (rest), RG Trai Turner (groin).
  7. Defensive starters who played at least a series: DT Colin Cole, DT Star Lotulelei, CB Antoine Cason, CB Melvin White, SS Roman Harper, FS Thomas DeCoud.
  8. Defensive starters who didn’t play: DE Charles Johnson (hamstring), DE Greg Hardy (shoulder), LB Luke Kuechly, Screen Shot 2014-08-28 at 9.03.00 PMLB Thomas Davis (rest).
  9. The Panthers exit the preseason in relatively good health. Sure, Newton has sore ribs and an iffy ankle, but there were no season-ending injuries to key players the last month.
  10. Players have Friday off. Newton will be re-evaluated Saturday when the team gathers for a walk-through.
  11. The Panthers have until 4 p.m. Saturday to cut the roster from 75 players to 53.

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