Woof, Wednesday’s joint training camp practice in Charlotte? Not exactly a highlight reel for the Carolina Panthers. Their offensive line got absolutely wrecked by the Houston Texans’ defensive front, leaving second-year quarterback Bryce Young under constant duress and looking like he was flashing back to his rookie year.
“They Got After Us Today”: Young Under Fire
Talk about a rough day at the office. Texans defensive end Will Anderson Jr. had a field day, making life miserable for Panthers’ first-round pick Monroe Freeling, who couldn’t maintain leverage or balance against the constant pressure. Anderson wasn’t done there, blowing past left tackle Rasheed Walker for another sack on Young. It sounds like Anderson was just reacquainting himself with his old Alabama teammate multiple times by taking up residence in the Panthers’ backfield. Young even called Anderson his “brother” from their ‘Bama days, noting it’s “always good to catch up with him and be around him.”
Young, facing consistent pressure and absorbing at least four sacks on the day, reportedly completed just nine of 17 passes and threw two picks. One went into double coverage, and the other bounced right off wide receiver Jalen Coker’s hands. Young summed it up: “They got after us today. It’s not a good feeling. It’s not us, you know, performing at the level we want to. I look in the mirror, we all look in the mirror. A day like this, you’ve got to grow from it.”
Depth Chart Woes and a Rookie’s Last Shot
The scariest part for Carolina fans has to be the offensive line depth problem, especially at tackle. Their top two guys, Ikem Ekwonu (knee) and Taylor Moton (blood clots), are sidelined and won’t be ready for the regular-season opener on September 13. That’s a huge blow.
Rookie right tackle Albert Reese IV, an undrafted free agent, admitted he wanted “a few plays back” after Wednesday’s struggle. This is the same Reese who, just last Friday, had the offense’s highest PFF grade (91.5) in their 34-17 preseason win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. He also logged a top run-blocking grade with zero QB pressures on 25 chances against the Jags. That’s a massive swing in performance, highlighting the challenge of facing a “stellar” Texans defense, as Reese called it. He added, “It doesn’t matter who you’re playing, you got to play to your standard.”
Coach Dave Canales has confirmed that most starters, including Young, are sitting out the upcoming exhibition matchup at Bank of America Stadium. So, it’s going to be the second and third units that need to “rebound,” according to Canales. For Reese, Friday is his final audition before NFL cutdown day, and he’s expected to see a majority of snaps. His performance could decide his NFL future.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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