The dress rehearsal. The final tuneup. The closest you can get to the regular season before the season starts. All these are ways people describe the third game of the preseason, one final chance to compete against an opponent without the games counting before coaches put their starters back in bubble wrap for the final game. Not only will this be the longest the starters will play, this is also expected to be the preseason debut for quarterback Cam Newton, who has been battling soreness in his throwing shoulder after having surgery in May; also expected back is second round pick Curtis Samuel, who reaggravated a hamstring injury the first day of training camp and had not begun practicing until last week. It will certainly be an exciting moment for Carolina Panthers fans when Newton, Samuel, and first round pick Christian McCaffrey will be on the field together for the first time. Analyst Sean Mauk put it like this in his preview of Curtis Samuel:
“Curtis Samuel would be considered a unique piece in any offense. The fact that the Panthers now possess three unique offensive pieces in Samuel, McCaffrey and Cam Newton is thrilling to think about. My ideal formation would be a double split pistol formation with Jonathan Stewart, McCaffrey and Samuel in the backfield with Newton while Kelvin Benjamin and Greg Olsen are split wide. The Panthers could then audible into almost any formation or play from there and force the defense to play perfectly in order to make a stop.”
This still being the preseason, don’t expect too many wrinkles in the offense as the coaching staff doesn’t want to give anything away until the games actually count, but the mere appearance of the three will be enough to titillate the fans, just as the mere appearance of a successful McCaffrey screen pass last week in Nashville was enough to blow the top off of Panthers’ Twitter.
While the starters should expect to play the bulk of the first half (Ron Rivera has said that Newton and Samuel, if they play, will play less than everyone else), the battles for the second string will be interesting to watch once the starters come out. In the Week 3 preseason game against the Patriots in 2016, the second string offense led by Derek Anderson only received two series to prove their worth before giving way to Joe Webb and the rest of the players fighting for a roster spot. Who is on the field during those “second string” series during the third quarter may be a good look into the mindset of the coaching staff as they decide who will make the 53-man roster. As we’ll be seeing a lot of the starters, here are some positional groups from the starting group to focus on in Jacksonville:
Quarterbacks
While this may seem obvious, it will be interesting to see how Cam Newton’s timing with his receivers looks in his first true game action since last season, especially since he has not practiced in full for what is effectively three weeks. However, the plan was always to have Newton ready for the Week 1 meeting with San Francisco that is still over two weeks away, so his health is ultimately the most important factor. If Newton can make some throws, take a couple of hits, and still smile after the game, that will be all that matters; don’t forget, Newton has never thrown more than one touchdown in a preseason game in his entire career. Derek Anderson will need to play better as well, as he was errant on a few throws against Tennessee that could have been big plays.
Offensive Line
The offensive line has played extremely well the past two weeks in pass protection, with Derek Anderson saying it was the first time he can remember not being knocked down in two straight games in his entire life; if the offensive line can keep Newton clean and give him time to go through his reads, the Panthers offense will be that much better. One of the main differences between 2015 and 2016 was the extra second Newton had to throw in 2015, the Panthers simply could not give him enough time, even when they kept in extra running backs to block. Center Ryan Kalil is expected to also play for the first time this preseason, so with the full offensive line together for the first time, it will be important to note not only how they deflect the pass rush, but open up holes for running backs Jonathan Stewart and Christian McCaffrey.
Fullbacks
It will be interesting to see how much the fullback is used in Jacksonville; the snap counts this week may tip the coaches’ hand if they are thinking about not carrying a fullback on the roster. Veteran Darrel Young is leading the competition over rookie Alex Armah despite Armah’s touchdown last week. Young will need to prove his worth as both a pass catcher and ball carrier in addition to a blocker, so don’t be surprised to see him get some carries or targets on Thursday night so the coaches can see what they have in him.
Returners
Carolina finished dead last in the NFL last season by averaging 18.1 yards per kickoff return, down from 26.6 in 2015. Special teams coach Thomas McGaughey needs to ensure his blockers stay in their lanes and find which returners make the right decisions; more than likely, the team will be evaluating Kaelin Clay, Fozzy Whittaker, and Damiere Byrd. All three players are on the roster bubble, so a big play in the return game could go a long way towards earning the returner spot in San Francisco. The same will apply to the punt return game, it will be interesting to see if we see rookie Christian McCaffrey back to return one, or if it remains a split between Byrd, Clay, and Austin Duke.
Linebackers
Mayo Getting One Of His 10 Tackles Against Tennessee
Defensive captain Luke Kuechly was out last week against the Titans, and David Mayo filled in admirably with ten tackles; a look at the rotation between Kuechly, Thomas Davis, and Shaq Thompson will give an inkling as to how the playing time will split up for the Panthers trio of ‘backers. The defense should be able to dominate a struggling Jaguars team, especially with rookie running back Leonard Fournette still out; look for whether Steve Wilks decides to send linebackers on the blitz and when, the double A gap blitzes have been particularly effective the first two weeks of the preseason.
Secondary
The Allen Bros of the Jaguars, Robinson and Hurns, are both talented receivers and will be a good test for the Panthers cornerbacks. Don’t look as much for whether or not the pass is completed (the Jaguars quarterback play has been inconsistent at best), but whether or not the receivers have separation. An open receiver is a loss in this situation, complete or incomplete. How the safeties play in the run game will also be worth watching. Anything less than a dominating performance by the starting defense will be a disappointment.
