Two drives, then out
Bryce Young did not need long. Six passes, five completions, 49 yards, and by the time he handed the offense over, Carolina already had the first touchdown of the night in Jacksonville. The Panthers won it 34-17 overnight.
Young’s second series was the one that mattered. He moved Carolina into scoring range and Jonathon Brooks finished the drive from a yard out. The fourth-year quarterback watched the rest from the sideline.
Kenny Pickett took the bulk of the snaps behind him and went 15 of 25 for 137 yards with a touchdown. John Metchie III caught six passes for 77 yards, the sort of night that decides roster arguments in late August.
Try it for $0.99.
Jacksonville kept its starter in bubble wrap
Trevor Lawrence sat again. Nick Mullens started in his place and was clean in a short shift, 6 of 7 for 65 yards, before Joey Aguilar came on and produced the most striking line of the evening at 9 of 10 for 130 yards and a touchdown.
Trebor Pena collected four catches for 72 yards and a score. Ameer Abdullah ran six times for 45 yards.
The scoreboard still tilted hard. Jacksonville dropped to 1-1 in the preseason while Carolina climbed to 2-1.
What Carolina actually wanted
Preseason results are worth very little. A quick, decisive drive from the starting quarterback is worth more, especially for a franchise that has spent much of Young’s career asking whether he can run an offense without hesitating.
He answered the small version of that question overnight. The bigger one waits for September.
Discover the rest of our NFL news on MathODDS!
in your pocket.
Real-time notifications & alerts
Leave a Reply