The Carolina Panthers and New York Jets participated in a joint practice early Thursday morning, in preparation for Saturday’s 7 p.m. preseason matchup in Bank of America Stadium.
Teams across the NFL have taken more precaution with preseason games over the years, choosing to rest starters before the madness of Week 1 ensues. Because of this, joint practices have become increasingly important for players to get reps and work on game technique.
Panthers defensive back, Jaycee Horn, prefers joint practices over preseason matchups, saying “I like joint practices more, we’re able to get more reps in 7-on-7 and man to man, which allows us to work on our technique more than a preseason matchup.”
Carolina’s 7-on-7 offense was clicking on all cylinders this morning, highlighted by multiple touchdown connections between Bryce Young and wide receiver Terrace Marshall Jr. The first of three skirmishes in joint practice occurred after Marshall Jr. caught a contested ball against Jets defensive back DJ Reed, choosing to toss the ball on Reed after the play, much to the dismay of onlooking Jets players and Panthers head coach Dave Canales.
Canales was not thrilled with Marshall Jr.’s actions after the whistle. “That’s dumb football, we can’t have that. We want to celebrate with each other, we want to make big plays and give the opponent nothing…[Marshall Jr.] got excited, he made a great play on a really good player. Leave it at that.”
Bryce Young had one of, if not, his best practice during training camp. Young showed the wide array of throws in his arsenal. Back shoulder fades, crossing routes, quick outs, you name it…Young was sharp and accurate in team drills. The lingering question that remains for the season centers around the offensive line.
Panthers new offensive lineman, Robert Hunt, had an injury scare in today’s practice. Hunt left the field on a medical cart, but was cleared and returned to finish practice. Canales later said he was thrilled with Hunt’s commitment to return, setting a good example for the rest of the team.
Saturday’s starters and active rosters are still up in the air, but all signs are pointing to another week of football without seeing Bryce Young, Xavier Legette, and Diontae Johnson. Despite their probable inactivity, Canales remains confident that the transition into Week 1 will be seamless.
Injury Updates
- Kenny Dyson (groin): timetable unknown
- Chuba Hubbard (knee): initial testing looks good, team will follow up
- Robert Hunt (knee): checked out and returned to practice
- Xavier Legette (lower leg injury): continuing to ramp up, Canales is taking precaution
- Xavier Woods (groin strain): 1-2 weeks
- Chandler Zavala (hamstring): Canales is concerned “could be a little bit of a longer deal”
