We finally got to see some starters, and they delivered.
The first team offense scored a touchdown on their lone drive to start what would be a Carolina Panthers win over the Buffalo Bills, 31-26.
First Quarter
Most of the first team offense took the field for the first time this preseason. They did exactly what they were supposed to do. They took the ball 85 yards and capped the drive off with a touchdown pass from Bryce Young to Jordan Matthews. Young completed 6-of-8 passes with a lot of improvisation and Chuba Hubbard picked up nice chunks with all of his runs.
The defense wasn’t as impressive. They let the Bills backup offense march up the field in little bits and pieces, but they did get a third down stop to force a Bills field goal. Both drives took so much time that there were only two possessions in the first quarter.
Second quarter
Jack Plummer went out with most of the rest of the starters for the Panthers second drive. He found Ihmir Smith-Marsette for a modest gain, but the drive ended prematurely when Xavier Legette dropped a third down pass that would have moved the chains. The Panthers defense responded and forced a gentleman’s three-and-out that was sealed by a third down sack by Cam Gill.
The next Panthers possession was better but still didn’t amount to anything. Miles Sanders had a few modest runs and Jack Plummer found his tight ends for a couple of catches, but the drive ended when Plummer couldn’t find an open receiver on fourth down.
The Bills rolled right down the field thanks to some egregious missed tackles from Chau Smith-Wade and D’Shawn Jamison (twice). They scored when Trevin Wallace was beaten to the edge by a back on a wheel route. After a penalty on the extra point try, Wallace was targeted in the pass game on the 2-point try. It was a horrendous pass that was behind the defending linebacker, but his tip sent the ball into the air where it was snagged by the Bills receiver.
Smith-Marsette set the offense up with a return of the ensuing kickoff out to midfield. The offense built off that momentum with chunk plays on the ground from Mike Boone and a big pickup on a pass from Jack Plummer to David Moore. Boone capped the drive off with a five yard run up the gut.
After a holding penalty on first down essentially forced a Bills punt, Plummer and the Panthers offense took possession with just over a minute left in the first half. The backup quarterback orchestrated a nice two minute drill to work the Panthers into field goal range. Eddy Pineiro knocked home the 45 yard field goal to put the Panthers up 17-11 at the half.
Third Quarter
The Bills got the ball to start the second half and were quickly forced to punt. A second down sack by DJ Johnson put the Bills in 3rd and unconvertible.
Plummer rolled out to his right and found Jasper Horsted for a 35 yard gain on the first play of the Panthers’ ensuing drive. Jaden Shirden had a few nice runs to help move the drive along, including a first down carry on 4th down. The drive was capped off by a Terrace Marshall catch, broken tackle, and run for a touchdown. The Panthers went for two and converted when Plummer found Moore in the back of the end zone.
That turned the game into a shootout. Anthony Brown and Frank Gore Jr. took the Bills right back down the field for their own touchdown and 2-point conversion. The Panthers responded in kind. A solid return by D’Shawn Jamison set up what would be another scoring drive.
Fourth Quarter
The Panthers started the fourth quarter with 3rd and short from the Bills 36 yard line. As they had earlier in the game, they used the situation as an opportunity for a shot play. Jalen Coker burnt his cover on the sideline and caught a perfectly thrown ball by Plummer for a touchdown.
The defense stopped the bleeding on following Bills drive. The Bills moved the ball into Panthers territory, but Luiji Vilain and Junior Aho teamed up for a second down sack after a Bills penalty to put the Bills in 3rd and long. After a stop, Tyler Bass missed the field goal.
The Panthers looked dead in the water with a 3rd and long, but Jack Plummer made a play. He slithered out of a collapsing pocket and found Shirden slipping out of the backfield for a long gain. However, the drive eventually stalled out, and the Panthers had to punt for the first time in the game.
The Bills seemed to content to pick up yards in small pieces as the preseason’s final minutes ticked away. They still managed to work into scoring territory thanks to more poor tackling in the secondary. The defense made a big stop at the goal line that allowed the clock to run down to the two minute warning. The Bills scored on the next play.
The Panthers needed one first down to ice the game, and they aggressively went after it. Plummer found Coker on a 12 yard comeback to seal the game.
Overview
The Panthers mostly first team offense did exactly what fans and the coaching staff would have wanted to see. They moved the ball down the field with ease and scored a touchdown with their one opportunity. The backups get the momentum going, and the team as a whole looked ready for the regular season.
There were a couple of injuries to monitor. Ihmir Smith-Marsette had to come out of the game with an ankle injury after being tackled on the sideline. Eddy Pineiro hurt his hamstring at some point.