With a temperature of around 72°, it was a rare cool morning in Spartanburg for the month of August. But the offensive players for the Carolina Panthers brought their own heat to the field. From 1st team drill to the last one, the offense dominated tempo today. A great sight was seeing WR Keith Kirkwood back at practice today. Unfortunately, he has been diagnosed with a concussion, so he was off on the sidelines. Also, CB A.J. Bouye, LB Shaq Thompson, and LB Denzel Perryman did not practice as indicated by all wearing the red jerseys.
11 on 11 Session Part 1
The offense came out with a determined purpose from the start. The 1st team offense lead by QB Sam Darnold scored three TDs via the pass. Darnold was 4-4 passing with a TD pass each to WR D.J. Moore, WR Robby Anderson and RB Christian McCaffrey. The 2nd team offense was lead by QB P.J. Walker score two TDs via the pass. Walker threw both TDs passes to WR Brandon Zylstra.
Two Minute Offense Drill
It was during this session that the defense finally starting making plays. CB Jaycee Horn knocked away the ball thrown by QB Sam Darnold, intended for WR D.J. Moore. DE/LB Brian Burns and LB Hasson Reddick both had back-to-back “sacks.” The drive ended with K Joey Slye converting a 47 yard FG attempt. The 2nd team offense tried to get within scoring range but was overwhelmed by the pressure up the middle from DT Brayvion Roy and DT Daivyon Nixon that forced incomplete passes from QB Will Grier. S Kenny Robinson made a great pass deflection on WR Omar Bayless to force 4th down.
11 on 11 Session Part 2
RB Christian McCaffrey kept the offensive momentum going by scoring two TD runs during this period. His ability to run between the tackles is so amazing to watch. Once he reaches the 2nd level of the defense, he has yet to be stopped so far during camp. QB Sam Darnold threw another TD pass to WR D.J. Moore during this 2nd session. CB Jaycee Horn made a good pass deflection on TE Dan Arnold. The first fight of training camp came when CB Troy Pride Jr. tackled WR Robby Anderson while out of bounds. Anderson then came up behind Pride Jr. and punched him in the back of the helmet. The altercation was quickly broken up, and Coach Matt Rhule made both players run laps.
Rush Review
The offensive line on both the 1st and 2nd teams stood out today, with solid performances by C Matt Paradis, RT Taylor Moton, LT Trent Scott, G Deonte Brown, and G John Miller. Also, RT Brady Christensen had a solid day as well. Overall, it was good to see a dominant effort by the guys in the trenches today.