Tag Archive for: #carolinapanthers

SportsTalk: Panthers Go With Mayfield As Starter

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Four Takeaways From Panthers’ Second Preseason Game at Gillette Stadium

— by Patrick Magoon freelance writer for WIZS

Friday’s preseason game, while initially sloppy, featured bright spots for both teams. Carolina Panthers quarterbacks PJ Walker and Matt Corral each handled 15 snaps and yielded a combined 135 yards through the air. New England Patriots quarterbacks Bailey Zappe, Mac Jones, and Brain Hoyer racked up 249 passing yards. Here are four takeaways.

Jones Shines in Preseason Debut

Despite an unflattering first-quarter performance from a Jones-led offense, the group found its footing late in the second quarter. Jones completed four of his eight pass attempts, netting 61 yards. The highlight of his limited playing time occurred during the Patriots’ third offensive drive when he connected with receiver Nelson Agholor on a 45-yard passing play, which set the team up for a score.

However, it is worth noting that the Panthers’ defensive unit consisted of backups. Head coach Matt Rhule kept his starters sidelined for the entire game.

Rhule is Hesitant to Name a Starting Quarterback

What we thought was once a relatively easy decision is now seemingly more complicated in the mind of Rhule. While Baker Mayfield, a former top pick, and teammate Sam Darnold shared equal reps for most of training camp and team practices, Mayfield’s deep-ball accuracy, decision-making abilities, and composure appeared to warrant a slight advantage over the competition.

“Like I said all along, when we know, we know. And we’ll announce something when it’s right,” said Rhule.

PJ Walker Continues to Crumble Under Pressure

Another unsatisfactory preseason performance from Walker further extends the gap between himself, rookie Matt Corral, and other potential prospects. Considering that Rhule intends to keep three quarterbacks on the active roster, Walker will need to correct some ongoing careless mistakes sooner rather than later.

In two quarters, Walker completed nine of 15 pass attempts for a total of 107 yards. However, two of the 15 pass attempts resulted in interceptions. Matt Corral, on the other hand, finished 9-for-15.

Carolina Panthers Receiver Talent Runs Deep

Regarding the Panthers’ wide receiver rankings moving forward, Rhule and his staff have some tough decisions to make. For the first time in many years, the competition and strengths amongst a versatile group of backup receivers are plentiful.

Shi Smith, an excellent special teams asset and talented pass catcher, is making a case for additional offensive responsibilities. Also, receivers Rashad Higgens and Terrace Marshall Jr. have demonstrated flashes of explosive plays.

Click Play for WIZS Audio

The Carolina Panthers Quarterback Battle Heats up in Spartanburg

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— story and pictures by Patrick Magoon freelance writer for WIZS

The starting quarterback role for the Carolina Panthers is up for grabs, and a decision is looming in the distance. Head coach Matt Rhule is not prepared to name the starting quarterback until after the second preseason game concludes on Aug. 19.

Even then, a lack of definitive separation amongst Carolina’s quarterbacks might yield additional testing and analysis before a conclusion occurs.

“I’m not putting a timetable on the quarterback position until after we get back from the Patriots week,” said Rhule. “The Patriots week is a true litmus test for us. That will really show us where guys are.”

During Saturday’s practice (Aug. 6), Baker Mayfield, a former top pick in the NFL draft, and teammate Sam Darnold (also drafted in 2018) took equal snaps with the first and second teams. While Mayfield’s composure and deep-ball accuracy warranted a slight advantage over Darnold, the battle is far from over.

Mayfield’s ability to sling the football efficiently and effectively down the field was comforting, but a handful of risky throws in tight coverage kept the quarterback competition close. Darnold looked solid when dumping the ball off to a nearby receiver. However, both quarterbacks gave the ball away on mistimed throws in crucial situations.

Mayfield finished 14-for-21, and Darnold completed 20 of 28 pass attempts. Both athletes netted a touchdown and interception during two hours of practice time.

“The disappointing thing is each guy had an interception,” explained Rhule. “We’ve got to protect the football.”

Mayfield is motivated to bounce back in 2022 after barely surpassing 3000 yards and recording just 17 touchdowns last season, which are both career lows. Darnold, on the other hand, is looking to secure the starting quarterback role long-term. In 2021, Darnold, despite starting the season hot, failed to achieve double-digit touchdown passes, and his single-season completion percentage remained below 60% for the third time in his career.

As competition at the quarterback position continues to heat up in the coming weeks, watch for changes in snap counts and offensive strategy.

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Both Carolinas Win; UNC Football and Panthers Recap

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The Monday edition of WIZS SportsTalk and Coach’s Corner with Trey Snide celebrated the weekend’s victories of both Carolinas, being UNC Football and the Carolina Panthers.

Mike Davis for the Panthers had combined scrimmage yards of 149 and a receiving touchdown.  Davis is averaging 83 yards on the ground since becoming the starter for the injured Christian McCaffrey.  With the win, the Panthers moved into a tied for first place in the NFC South.  The Teddy Bridgewater led offense and pair of wide receivers in Ryan Anderson and DJ Moore have the Panther offense moving up in the Power Rankings.

As for the Tar Heels, UNC has moved up to number five in the AP Top 25 poll, the best since 2015 when they were 14th in the country.  This past Saturday was a record-setting day for the UNC offense, let by the two-headed running back committee of Michael Carter and Javonte Williams.  Up next for the Tar Heels is Florida State.

For the full replay of today’s show, click play below…

 

Carolina Panthers – Mick Mixon Audio Interview

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The Panthers drafted seven defensive players, and the general reports indicate it was a successful plan, including those from Matt Rhule, the new head coach, and from General Manager Marty Hurney.

Mick Mixon, play by play announcer of the NFL’s Carolina Panthers, joined WIZS TownTalk on Monday to discuss the latest NFL draft.

Of the present internal disruption within the Panthers organization, with a new coach, new owner and a lot of player turnover, Mixon spoke also of the present world disruption of covid-19 and said, “You can count on me not to over dramatize athletics…It really doesn’t mean that much when set against the backdrop of nurses and doctors and scientists and healthcare workers and the really essential things in life.

“However, let’s just call this too for what it is.  In the south, football isn’t just what we do.  It’s part of who we are, and it’s part of how we come together.  So, I think we’re kind of starving for a little bit of football.  At least that’s the way it feels to me around Panther Nation, and the draft was great.  Just to be able to have some new Panthers, how about that?  Seven new draft picks, all defensive players.”

With the NFC South loaded with talented quarterbacks like Drew Brees and now Tom Brady, the Panthers’ selections being all defensive, while it was not the plan, indicates the importance of improving the defense now as expressed by the Panthers’ leadership and their draft board.

The NFL logo and the overall organization has to be top 1o in terms of global recognition and branding, but it’s not too big to fail.  Mixon said, “I think what we may need to do is be patient.  I think the NFL needs to not put a stake in the ground (after a successful draft), and say, ‘Boy, thank Goodness that’s over.  Happy days are here again.’  There’s a lot of distancing yet, a lot of work, a lot of sand that needs to sift through the hour glass so to speak, but I know conversations have been held about — What would the world be like with a shortened season?  What would the world be like with games with no fans in the stands.  These are hard pills to swallow.”

The NFL will figure it out, Mixon said, and right now time is on the side of professional football.

Full Interview Audio:

Register to Represent Carolina Panthers in the Madden NFL 20 Club Championship

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100.1 FM / 1450 AM WIZS; Local News broadcasts M-F 8am, 12pm, 5pm

-Information courtesy Amy Martin, Broadcast Manager, Carolina Panthers

Take home the title for the Carolina Panthers! Sign up by October 7 for your chance to represent the Carolina Panthers in the Madden NFL 20 Club Championship as you take your favorite team to the top of this EA Major Series.

The top four Panthers gamers will be flown to California to participate in a live studio show to determine who will represent the Panthers in the official Madden NFL 20 Club Championship!

Register now at www.MaddenChampionship.com/compete.

• Fans are able to register for the Madden Club Championship under their favorite team.

• The top four players that register as Panthers fans will then be flown to California to compete to be the top Panthers player in the Studio Show. Each NFL team’s Studio Show winner will then compete against each other in the Madden NFL 20 Club Championship.

    • November 21-23, 2019 – Panthers Studio Show
    • December 18-21, 2019 – Club Championship Live Finals

• Fans will be able to tune in to the Studio Show and the Championship via Twitch through EAMaddenNFL.

Carolina Panthers’ Backup Quarterbacks Fail to Impress in Preseason Matchup

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100.1 FM / 1450 AM WIZS; Local News broadcasts M-F 8am, 12pm, 5pm

-Article and photos by Patrick Magoon

Sluggish. Sloppy. Uncoordinated. Rushed. All four of those terms could be used to describe the performance from Carolina Panthers’ backup quarterbacks in Friday’s home preseason matchup against the Buffalo Bills.

Despite star quarterback Cam Newton sitting out for the entirety of another preseason game, neither third-round pick Will Grier nor second-year quarterback Kyle Allen could gain a clear advantage of the other. Grier and Allen threw for a combined 107 yards, and both quarterbacks finished with a passer rating below 50.

As Carolina’s coaching staff continues to evaluate its talent pool behind Newton, Grier and Allen have got to make better decisions on the field.

Several pass attempts from Grier and Allen were forced and often significantly overthrown, which Ron Rivera noticed and commented on after the game.

After Allen exited the game in the third quarter, Grier had an opportunity to gain significant traction in the fight for the backup quarterback role. He had a promising start, connecting with running back Jordan Scarlett for a 14-yard touchdown during his first series, but then lost control of the game almost immediately after that scoring play.

Griers’ three drives in the third quarter all concluded with punts.

Bills’ Kevin Johnson capitalized on a poorly underthrown ball from Grier, which was grabbed in the air and taken 70 yards down the field for a touchdown. “He made a bad read on the throw and threw it outside when he should have thrown it inside and, unfortunately, it got intercepted,” said Rivera.

Following the interception, Carolina’s offensive unit was shaken up and couldn’t recover with what little time was left in the second half. They reached the end zone just once, in the fourth quarter, after Taylor Heinicke took control of the offense.

Heinicke pieced together a solid 11-play, 75-yard series that ended with a 9-yard touchdown pass to Rashaad Ross.

The Panthers aren’t going to keep fourth quarterbacks, but Rivera will continue to carefully evaluate each quarterback’s performance when challenged by various game scenarios. While Grier’s methods of execution were underwhelming last night, he remains in the same boat as teammates Allen and Heinicke.

“We’ve still got two weeks left to go to make a decision on certain things and we’ll see what happens,” said Rivera.

Carolina Panthers Graded on Final Home Game Performance

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-Article and photos by Patrick Magoon of WIZS

The Carolina Panthers kicked off their final home game of the season with an impressive season-high 14-play drive which spanned 73 yards. Carolina’s offense was moving the ball well until quarterback Taylor Heinicke suffered a painful injury in the second quarter. An abundance of penalties, the allowance of explosive plays on defense and costly turnovers in the red zone prevented Carolina from pulling out a win for the seventh time in a row this season.

Here are your grades for Carolina’s Week 16 loss to the Falcons:

Quarterback – C: First-time starter Taylor Heinicke got off to a hot start, throwing his first touchdown pass as a pro on the opening drive, but the feeling was shortlived. An unfortunate left elbow/shoulder injury, suffering multiple hits in the pocket and mediocre protection from his offensive line forced him to scramble often and occasionally release the ball early, which helped facilitate costly turnovers in the red zone. Heinicke threw three interceptions (one wasn’t his fault) and earned a passer rating of 58.2. He made some mental mistakes typical of a quarterback who hasn’t started since 2014, but he deserves some praise for fighting through immense pain.

Offensive Line – D: The protection coming from the broken offensive line again was mediocre at best. The unit continuously crumbled under pressure and drew a flag multiple times.

Running Backs – A-: Christian McCaffrey was the star of the offense, per usual. He didn’t make any flashy plays, but his consistent hands carried the team. On Sunday, he added another 100-yard rushing game to his collection and broke the NFL single-season reception record previously set by Bears’ Matt Forte in 2014 (102).

Tight end – B+: Ian Thomas earned his first touchdown as a pro on Carolina’s opening drive. He connected with Heinicke for a one-yard score. Thomas conveyed flashes of elite talent as he continues to master offensive coordinator Norv Turner’s system. His smooth route running skills make him a trustworthy target across the middle of the field and in back of the end zone.

Wide Receivers – B+: Sure-handed Jarius Wright bounced back after fumbling his second catch of the game. He quickly built rapport with both quarterbacks, which paved the way for an inspiring season-high six-catch performance. Curtis Samuel was also heavily involved on offense. He caught seven passes for 41 yards. His speed and remarkable hand-eye coordination allow him to stretch the field.

Defensive Line – C-: The Panthers’ struggled to put an adequate about of pressure on Matt Ryan or counter Atlanta’s physical run game. The unit recorded just one sack.

Linebackers – B+: Luke Kuechly and Thomas Davis are the heart and soul of the defense. They both do an excellent job of reading the quarterback’s eyes and adjusting their position to quickly shut down an offensive target. Kuechly played well against Julio Jones when he lined up in the slot and was an effective run-stopper for most of the game. Both linebackers finished today’s matchup with a combined 12 total tackles.

Secondary – C-: Cornerback James Bradberry played lights out in man coverage. He recorded an impressive four PBUs, but his teammates let him down throughout different parts of the game. Blown coverage by veteran safety Mike Adams stemming from confusion surrounding the formation on defense allowed Ryan to easily hit a wide-open Calvin Ridley in stride for a touchdown at the start of the third quarter. Captain Munnerlyn was also responsible for allowing several explosive plays. The unit allowed at least five plays of 20-plus yards.

Special teams – C+: Chandler Catanzaro nailed a 50-yard field goal. Kenjon Barner had minimal success fielding punts. He was able to return just two punts for a combined 16 yards. Barner got closelined by Atlanta’s punter during a return – not a good look.

 

 

Cam Newton and Chrisitan McCaffrey shine in Panthers’ beatdown of divison rival

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— by Patrick Magoon (patrickmagoon.com) of WIZS

— photo by Patrick Magoon

The Carolina Panthers advance to 6-2 on the season following their beatdown of divisional rival Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Bank of America stadium. A pair of picks and a late touchdown helped seal the win after a sloppy performance at the beginning of the second half. The play of the game was Curtis Samuel’s 33-yard double-reverse touchdown. He started on the right side of the field – then took the handoff to the left side of the field where Newton was the lead blocker before finally ending his route on the right side of the end zone after evading multiple tackles.

Quick. Unique. Efficient. Remarkable. These are all words that could be used to describe Carolina’s performance on offense in Sunday’s game. The unit got off to a slow start failing to move the chains on their first possession of the game – then, the pace of the offense changed – in a matter of minutes. With the help of playmakers D.J. Moore, Christian McCaffrey, Curtis Samuel and the creative mind of offensive coordinator Norv Turner, the Panthers were able to take a comfortable season-high 21 point lead in the first half. The Panthers reached the end zone on all five red zone attempts – and Newton finished the game with a season-best 133.2 passer rating.

Carolina’s receivers broke tackles left and right and dismantled Tampa Bay’s secondary, netting a combined 247 receiving yards. The chemistry shared between Newton and the young receivers on the team continues to improve week-after-week, making them a hard group to stop when they get room to run.

Tampa Bay’s offense struggled to string together several significant gains in the first half. Their players could not easily create separation from defenders. Their offensive line gave up two sacks and let Fitzpatrick absorb multiple hits. The unit found the end zone just once, in the second quarter, when Fitzpatrick connected with his tight end O.J. Howard in the end zone. The Buccaneers saw most of their success on offense when a tight end was targeted, a position that the Panthers’ defense has struggled to cover this season.

The Buccaneers gambled early in the second quarter by electing to run a fake punt play in the on their side of the field to try and ignite some consistency in an otherwise inconsistent offense – unfortunately, they were not able to move the chains after the ball was tipped in the air and knocked away from Tampa’s receiver. Their success through the air was minimal for the rest of the half.

Shockingly enough, the tides turned at the start of the second half. “Fitzmagic” started to come to life at the beginning of the second half, but it was too late. Carolina’s defense got sloppy and therefore, giving up a touchdown in each of the last quarters. Their energy levels depleted and the group shifted to prevent defense, which gave the Buccaneers more space to work with on offense. Their offense struggled with time management and penalties in the third quarter, which allowed the Buccaneers to shrink Carolina’s lead to one touchdown to start the fourth quarter.

“When it’s clicking it’s clicking. But we have to be better in the third quarter. We know that. Everyone notices it,” said Cam Newton via Carolina Panthers staff writer Max Henson.

The top performers of the matchup against the Buccaneers were defensive end Mario Addison, wide receiver Curtis Samuel, running back Christian McCaffrey and cornerback Donte Jackson.

Mario Addison had himself a day. The Panthers finished with three sacks, all of which, were credited to Addison. He did an excellent job of rolling off blocks and disrupting Ryan Fitzpatrick. Fitzpatrick and company struggled to develop a consistent passing game for most of the game when Addison was in his face.

Curtis Samuel is an excellent route runner. When Samuel gets the ball in open space, he does an excellent job at evading tackles. Head coach Ron Rivera pointed out the difference between horizontal playmakers like D.J. Moore and Curtis Samuel and other veterans like Torrey Smith. Samuel will grab a pass on one side of the field, and then get tackled close to the other sideline after a big gain. “Torrey Smith is the vertical guy but D.J. Moore and Curtis Samuel can make plays sideline to sideline,” said Rivera via Joseph Person of The Athletic.

Christian McCaffrey averaged 4.6 yards per carry and helped the Panthers build their lead with a pair of rushing touchdowns. McCaffrey does it all from setting up blocks to rushing in for touchdowns and everything in between. McCaffrey has shown that he can be a three-down back every game – his numbers prove it.

Donte Jackson continues to make a case for defensive rookie of the year after yet another solid performance on defense. He has now intercepted four passes in eight games. Today, he made a crucial interception to help his team end the game on a high note. Jackson also recorded five total tackles and did an excellent job guarding his man.

The Panthers will make the journey to Heinz Field this week to take on the 5-2-1 Steelers on Thursday at 8:20 P.M. EST.

Carolina Panthers Announce $250,000 in Grant Funding

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High Schools in North and South Carolina eligible to apply for funding to replace essentials including athletic equipment and other athletics infrastructure.

Carolina Panthers Charities is providing $250,000 in grant funding to assist high school athletic programs in North and South Carolina that have been adversely impacted by Hurricane Matthew and the storm’s aftermath. The grants are designed to assist high school athletic programs in the replacement or repair of equipment, supplies or athletic infrastructure lost or damaged due to the recent catastrophic hurricane damage that has impacted large portions of North and South Carolina.

High school athletic programs have the opportunity to apply for grant funding from Carolina Panthers Charities to assist in their storm recovery efforts. Grant applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis with a deadline for consideration of November 11, 2016. The team will work in conjunction with the North Carolina High School Athletic Association and South Carolina High School League and other partnership agencies to distribute the grant application to member schools. In addition, schools may also download the application on panthers.com/ community.

“The recent hurricane and subsequent flooding events has been devastating for many communities across the region with many high schools sustaining loss or damage to athletic equipment or facilities,” said Riley Fields, Carolina Panthers director of community relations. “The Carolina Panthers hope this grant funding will enable schools, and the communities they serve, to return to a sense of normalcy by helping meet the important basic needs of high school athletic programs.”

In October 2015, Carolina Panthers Charities provided $250,000 in grant funding which aided 19 high schools in South Carolina following catastrophic flooding that impacted the region.

Contact:

Riley Fields

Carolina Panthers Director of Community Relations

704 358-7469

Riley.fields@panthers.nfl.com

 

Peter Vacho

Carolina Panthers  Military & Football Outreach Manager

704 358-7436

Peter.vacho@panthers.nfl.com

 

WIZS Radio is a Carolina Panthers Radio Network Affiliate.