Carolina Huddle

Offense

A respectable if not good performance by most of the Panthers offense. First impressions of the zone blocking are favorable, but I do not have my hopes up. It was too good to be true, and I sense the fog of preseason made the running game look much better than it actually is at this point. Deshaun Foster and Nick Goings were able to consistently run for big gains with little effort and less resistance. It was great to see a running game in Panthers unis again, but I will take the wait and see approach.

In the passing game, Delhomme and Carr both looked capable of leading the team this season. Both had touchdowns, both had one bad throw. Carr had much more pressure on him, not a good sign for the backup Offensive Line. Basanez had both the best and worst throws of the evening.

Ryne Robinson and Taye Biddle gave real energy to the receiving corps, making prospects for Keary Colbert look more limited.

Offensive Grade - B

 Defense

On a night with mostly mediocre defensive play, it was easy to spot who had real potential this season. Adam Seward looks like he has spent the most time in the classroom and working on fundamentals of the game. His play has noticeably improved from last season with sure handed tackling and an understanding of where he should be. Jon Beason was aslo a standout performer, playing at both the weak side and middle linebacker positions.  It is very easy to see why he was drafted in the first round from Linebacker U. The best tackle of the night goes to Ken Lucas, who stayed home on a sweep, shed a blocker , and made an outstanding tackle in the open field.

Defensive Grade - C 

Special Teams 

There is absolutely nothing special about last night’s performance.  Unlike offense and defense, you can get a real good look at how special teams will be playing in the regular season by watching preseason games. The results are in, and they are bad. Poor returns, worse return coverage. Special Teams gave the Giants offense favorable position most of the evening. If that is a trend that continues into the season, Carolina will not make the playoffs.

Special Teams Grade - D-

Coaching 

Trgovac is catching a lot of heat this morning from the fans. It is not fair to make judgments on most of the coaching staff however from a play calling standpoint. There was no game plan for the Giants. When plays are called, the coaching staff is more interested in how the players perform individually in that play than if that play is effective against the offense or defense.

Coaches can, however, be graded on how well their students display the fundamentals of the game. Overall, the first two weeks of camp look to have been productive.

Coaching grade -  B