The Carolina Panthers gave us a pretty nice preview on Friday night, throwing out the bulk of the starters for a good chunk of time against the Buffalo Bills. So, what can we draw from the revealing 21-0 victory?
Here are the snap count standouts from the preseason finale.
Welcome back, Jaycee
After his rookie campaign was cut short in 2021, Horn waited 337 days to get back on an NFL playing field. And, boy, did he ever get back.
In his very first taste of real action since breaking his foot against the Houston Texans last year, the second-year cornerback played in 51 percent of his unit’s snaps—the highest amongst all the team’s defenders. He used his 28 plays to accumulate one tackle and a handful of encouraging coverage reps in a very positive performance.
Frankie Luvu might be that dude
In another encouraging outing for this defense, Luvu made the absolute most of his chances on Friday night.
The 25-year-old linebacker racked up a ridiculous eight tackles—another team-high—over just 25 defensive snaps. His biggest stop came on a 4th & 1 from the Panthers’ 8-yard line, when he and safety Xavier Woods stuffed Bills running back Duke Johnson for a 2-yard loss in halting a long 19-play drive.
Despite allowing the second fewest yards in 2021, the Carolina defense was certainly lacking a consistent amount of “dawg in them.” Luckily, Luvu—who will see an increased role this season—has one heck of a bite.
Marshall's aw
The pressure has been on for second-year wideout Terrace Marshall Jr., who needed a strong night to get himself back on track. Unfortunately, he didn’t show up in the box score.
Although he played in 43 offensive snaps, 12 more than the next closest Panther, Marshall Jr. finished with zero receptions on just one target. Hopefully, he did the little things right on tape to provide some assurance to the coaching staff.
Shi Smith, on the other hand, took another big step forward in the wideout room. Smith recorded 32 yards and a touchdown on three receptions over 22 offensive snaps.
