Panthers @ Colts
Final Score: Colts 21, Panthers 18
Writer: Corey Saucier (@Deputy_Commish on Twitter)
The Panthers rested all of their big names on offense, which gave P.J. Walker, Terrace Marshall Jr, and Chuba Hubbard a chance to shine in the Panthers’ first preseason game of 2021. After jumping out to a lead, Carolina’s offense sputtered with Will Grier at the helm, and Sam Ehlinger lead the Colts back for a come-back win. Marlon Mack looked healthy in his limited action, as did Parris Campbell, while the Colts rested most of their offensive starters otherwise. Jacob Eason still has some work to do to be ready for a potential Week 1 start, so all eyes will be on the recovery of Carson Wentz over the next few weeks of camp.
Carolina Panthers
Quarterbacks
P.J. Walker: 10/21, 161 yards, TD
Will Grier: 6/10, 31 yards | 3 carries, 8 yards
P.J. Walker flashed early on in this one, rolling out on a bootleg from his own endzone on the first play of the game and looking comfortable and patient. On 3rd and 7 he connected on an in-breaking route for the first, and on the next play, he provided the Panthers’ offensive highlight of the game. Walker darted in the pocket, escaped pressure, and hit a streaking Terrace Marshall Jr. for a 60 yard gain down the sideline. It was the type of out-of-structure play that Walker brings to the table, and is why he is appealing as a developmental backup. The drive would stall on a block in the back penalty, and the Panthers would settle for a field goal. Walker would later lead another field goal drive, stepping up in the pocket nicely on third down but throwing a risking pass into traffic into the end zone that fell incomplete. Walker finally got the Panthers into the end zone with 1:56 left in the half, spinning out of pressure and finding Tommy Tremble running across the end zone for a score.
Uhhhhhh we might want to talk about having a position battle down in Carolina.pic.twitter.com/oAS6TBzYHR
— Brett Kollmann (@BrettKollmann) August 15, 2021
Will Grier came in at the half and generally struggled, leading the Panthers to just three points as they gave up the lead. I think we’ve seen enough from Grier over his time in Carolina to know that he is not currently an NFL-caliber quarterback.
Running Backs
Chuba Hubbard: 7 carries, 80 yards | 4 targets, 1 reception, 2 yards
Spencer Brown: 9 carries, 25 yards
Darius Clark: 3 carries, 10 yards
Chuba Hubbard received the bulk of the early work and showed flashes, most notably on a key third and one where he broke out of traffic for a big play.
CHUBA HUBBARD GETS LOOSE 🔥 pic.twitter.com/GsGRsq1Gny
— PFF Fantasy & Betting (@PFF_Fantasy) August 15, 2021
Hubbard had another nice run at the end of the second half but had an awkward hurdle attempt on a defender that he should remove from his bag of tricks. Overall, however, Hubbard looked good and is locked into the valuable handcuff role behind Christian McCaffrey.
Spencer Brown mixed in more in the second half but looks to be clearly behind Hubbard on the depth chart.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
Terrace Marshall Jr: 5 targets, 3 receptions, 88 yards
Shi Smith: 1 target, 1 reception, 26 yards
David Moore: 4 targets, 2 receptions, 26 yards
Tommy Tremble: 4 targets, 3 receptions, 19 yards, TD
Giovanni Ricci: 3 targets, 2 receptions, 13 yards
Rookie receiver Terrace Marshall Jr. wasted no time making his mark in the pros, breaking downfield on a scramble drill and going for a 60 yard gain. It was a bit of a blown coverage from Indianapolis, but Marshall correctly broke downfield when Walker broke the pocket and found a gaping hole in the defense. Marshall is an intriguing game to watch throughout the preseason.
Terrace Marshall with the 59-yard catch and run 👀
pic.twitter.com/cYdVVlgnai— PFF (@PFF) August 15, 2021
Shi Smith had a nice catch in traffic down the sideline and held on to the ball after absorbing a hit on his lone target. David Moore saw several red zone targets in the first half, and Tommy Tremble caught the first pass of the game as well as the only touchdown pass for the Panthers.
Indianapolis Colts
Quarterbacks
Jacob Eason: 15/21, 183 yards | 1 carry, 2 yards
Sam Ehlinger: 10/15, 155 yards, INT | 8 carries, 30 yards
Jacob Eason got the start filling in for the injured Carson Wentz and had a lackluster performance. He started the game hitting Dezmon Patmon twice on short sideline throws on his first read. The Colts moved the ball past midfield on mostly quick throws but stalled out on a failed third-down run. Eason was sacked three times and had issues reacting to pressure, and many of his throws were quick reads. Eason was later able to hit Parris Campbell for a big play down the sideline, which led to a Colts field goal. But Eason was also strip-sacked and lost a fumble, giving the Panthers the ball on the 14 yard-line. Eason would play the first half and manage a touchdown drive at the end of the second quarter, leading the Colts to 10 first-half points. The Colts’ offensive line struggled at times with their missing stars along the left side, and Eason didn’t do much to instill confidence if Wentz misses time early on.
Sam Ehlinger came it for the second half and showed another element that Eason lacked, rushing for a first down and a two-point conversion, and was mostly impressive leading the Colts from a come-from-behind win. Ehlinger did throw a bad interception on a late crosser where the defender undercut the route and his lack of arm strength likely caps his ceiling as a passer. He also at times ran into trouble when nobody was open, but he did manage to avoid taking a sack. With the Colts down 8, Ehlinger began taking shots downfield, including a lofted 47-yard pass to Tarik Black and a 25-yard pass to Tyler Vaughns to get the Colts down to the one-yard-line.
Running Backs
Marlon Mack: 4 carries, 12 yards | 2 targets, 1 reception, 3 yards
Jordan Wilkins: 10 carries, 25 yards, TD | 1 target, 1 reception, 6 yards
Benny Lemay: 6 carries, 26 yards, TD
Marlon Mack drew the start and looked solid, drawing two targets on the first drive and looking impressive on a carry for a first down. Jordan Wilkins took over towards the end of the drive, but it was great to see Mack look healthy in his first action coming back from the dreaded Achilles injury. It was even more encouraging to see him get the start and see three opportunities right out of the gate: the Colts clearly want to see him in action prior to the regular season. Wilkins was stuffed on a 3rd and 1 run to end the first drive where the line was overpowered, and would get the majority of the carries through the rest of the game.
Benny Lemay had an excellent run dragging several would-be tacklers down the field, only to see it wiped out by a taunting penalty. He’s too far down the depth chart to be of much interest, however, especially with Mack looking helathy.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
Tarik Black: 4 targets, 3 receptions, 67 yards
Mike Strachan: 5 targets, 3 receptions, 57 yards
Dezmon Patmon: 6 targets, 5 receptions, 49 yards
Parris Campbell: 1 target, 1 reception, 37 yards
Tyler Vaughns: 3 targets, 3 receptions, 46 yards
Kylen Granson: 5 targets, 2 receptions, 16 yards
Quartney Davis: 2 targets, 2 receptions, 29 yards
Dezmon Patmon got the early looks from Eason as a possession receiver along the sidelines, and Mike Strachan was tough to cover throughout the first half. But the biggest news from a fantasy perspective was Parris Campbell‘s 37-yard reception, showing that he has some downfield ability.
Eason drop’s it right into Parris Campbell’s basket 🎯 pic.twitter.com/vwNSM814Q6
— PFF Fantasy & Betting (@PFF_Fantasy) August 15, 2021
But primarily, Campbell looks healthy, which is the most important part of this preseason for the oft-injured receiver.
Rookie tight end Kylen Granson saw an encouraging five targets but was in on just 3 of the Colts’ first 16 plays on the first two drives. The usage is encouraging, but he still needs to climb his way up the depth chart over the next few weeks.
Writer: Corey Saucier (@Deputy_Commish on Twitter)