The Carolina Panthers will be hosting the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday night for the last preseason game of the year. Since the Panthers have long tried to pattern themselves after the Steelers this is appropriate. Not to mention that Steelers fans at Bank of America Stadium may outnumber those of the Panthers.

Traditionally the fourth preseason game is one of rest for the starters of most NFL teams. The starting units may play a series or two just so the fans can see them. But the game is usually one of rest for the starters to avoid injury. This also allows players who won’t make their team to showcase their ability to other teams who may pick them up.

So don’t expect to see much of Cam Newton against the Steelers in the last preseason game. It is possible that he will play into the second quarter just to get some reps, but I wouldn’t bet on it. Even the backups for the Steelers will be hard hitters and may want to make a name for themselves by nailing the Heisman winner.

I don’t think Jeff Otah will play even though he has been practicing. It just is not worth the risk of him getting injured in a preseason game. The Panthers are banged up enough and probably just want to get out of the game as healthy as they can. Jimmy Clausen who has an injured thigh will get some playing time and we may see Derek Anderson again at quarterback.

The Carolina Panthers will be hosting the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday night for the last preseason game of the year. Since the Panthers have long tried to pattern themselves after the Steelers this is appropriate. Not to mention that Steelers fans at Bank of America Stadium may outnumber those of the Panthers.

Traditionally the fourth preseason game is one of rest for the starters of most NFL teams. The starting units may play a series or two just so the fans can see them. But the game is usually one of rest for the starters to avoid injury. This also allows players who won’t make their team to showcase their ability to other teams who may pick them up.

So don’t expect to see much of Cam Newton against the Steelers in the last preseason game. It is possible that he will play into the second quarter just to get some reps, but I wouldn’t bet on it. Even the backups for the Steelers will be hard hitters and may want to make a name for themselves by nailing the Heisman winner.

I don’t think Jeff Otah will play even though he has been practicing. It just is not worth the risk of him getting injured in a preseason game. The Panthers are banged up enough and probably just want to get out of the game as healthy as they can. Jimmy Clausen who has an injured thigh will get some playing time and we may see Derek Anderson again at quarterback.

The Carolina Panthers lost their third preseason game to the Cincinnati Bengals by the score of 24 to 13 on Thursday night. Cam Newton once again looked like what he is, a rookie quarterback but still hasn’t thrown an interception in the preseason.

Cam Newton completed 6 of 19 passes for 75 yards in preseason action against the Bengals but did rush for 49 yards (to lead the team) and one touchdown. Newton is showing good football smarts but continues to throw off his back foot and display terrible accuracy. Jimmy Clausen completed 4 of 7 for 35 yards.

The running game was a little stagnant due to injuries on the line and trying to jell in this new offense. Jordan Gross in particular has drawn the ire of Panthers fans on WFNZ today. I do think the Panthers offensive line will improve each week if they can just stay healthy.

Steve Smith caught his first pass of the season against the Bengals and also had his first fracas when a Bengal ripped his helmet off! The wide receiving unit needs to join the offensive line in turning it up a notch soon but the tight ends are playing well.

Thomas Davis and James Anderson put on a linebacking display against the Bengals and were easily the bright spots for Carolina. Jon Beason will make this a formable unit when he returns from minor surgery on his Achilles.

Chris Gamble suffered a thumb injury against the Bengals but did put on an amusing dance display when he recovered a fumble. It is unclear how long Gamble will be out, if any time at all. The secondary as a whole needs to improve and I think the Panthers will be watching the waiver wire for help in that area.

Carolina still struggled at converting third downs on offense and in preventing long drives on defense. However I see them improving in both areas when they get all their injured players back.

Thanks for checking out my recap of the Miami Dolphins and Carolina Panthers preseason game. Carolina lost to Miami 20 to 10 in the 2^nd preseason game for both teams.

Cam Newton looked like what he is, a rookie quarterback. Newton completed 7 of 14 passes for 66 yards in the game. Cam Newton is showing poor mechanics namely in throwing off his back foot which greatly affects his accuracy.

 Newton continues to impress me however with the fact that he has not turned the ball over in two preseason games. Steve Smith didn’t play against Miami despite reports that he would. The Panthers offense needs Smith to be healthy. WFNZ’s Brett Jensen reported that Cam has only completed one pas to a wide receiver in the 2011 preseason.

 Jimmy Clausen had similar numbers to Cam Newton in the Miami game. Jimmy completed 9 of 15 passes for 69 yards. Josh Vaughn and Tyrell Sutton led the Panthers in rushing with 21 and 19 yards respectively. Sutton did score the team’s only touchdown in the game and added four receptions.

 The tight ends continue to be a Panther focus with Shockey catching three passes and new fan favorite Olsen adding two more. Blocking tight end Ben Hartsock even caught a pass for five yards.

Thomas Williams had a nice night with six tackles against the Dolphins. Ugo Chinasa a rookie defensive end out of Oklahoma State had two tackles a sack and a forced fumble. As a whole the Panthers defense didn’t play overly well and needs everyone back and healthy to look their best.

I keep hearing that the Panthers are not done picking up players. Look for the team to keep an eye out for veteran defensive linemen, cornerbacks and maybe even a wideout. I am not sure they will add a receiver but it’s possible.

Some Panthers fans here in Catawba County are hoping that the team grabs Justin Harper if he is waived by the Baltimore Ravens. Harper is a former Virginia Tech wide receiver who is from Catawba North Carolina. Harper has spent most of his time in the NFL on the Ravens practice squad.

The Panthers are expected to announce Cam Newton as the starting quarterback for the regular season, early this week. I urge the fans not to come down too harshly on Newton. He has to learn and needs time to develop. At least he has a happy center in Ryan Kalil who is now the highest paid center in NFL history after signing his new deal.

The Carolina Panthers head into week two of the preseason a little banged up as they prepare to play the Miami Dolphins. According to Steve Reed of Carolinagrowl.com (via Twitter) Stewart, Gamble, Goodson and Gary Barnidge are questionable. Beason, Schwartz, Otah, Hardy and Fiammetta are out for the Panthers/Dolphins preseason game.

The big news heading into week two of the 2011 Panthers preseason is Cam Newton’s first start. Newton played fairly well last week and will start and play mostly with the starting unit. Jimmy Clausen is expected to see a lot of playing time with the 2^nd string with Anderson getting some spot duty.

The big things the Panthers want out of the preseason game with the Dolphins is for everyone to stay healthy and for Cam Newton to keep progressing. There is little doubt now that Newton will be the regular season starting quarterback from day one unless he has a major meltdown in the preseason.

Charles “Big Money” Johnson will be playing this week against the Dolphins and may have a good game. As Jason Roberts points out at his excellent “Bottlenose Blogging” site, the Dolphins have a less than stellar offensive line.

Panthers fans will see a familiar face in Matt Moore who is probably going to be the second string quarterback this season for the Dolphins.  I look for Moore to play well against the banged up Panthers defense.

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Steve Smith will be playing against the Dolphins after sitting out last week due to an injured hand. Contrary to some reports it was a pass from Jimmy Clausen (not Newton) that injured Smith. Between Smith and tight end Greg Olsen I think the Panthers offense will have some pop this week.

Due to the short offseason and new coaches and systems, I expect the Panthers starters to play more than they would in most preseason games. The Panthers are still installing their offense and defense. Fan reaction to both systems has been positive everywhere I have seen or heard it mentioned.

Two players I am interested in seeing against the Dolphins are wide receiver Armanti Edwards and running back Tyrell Sutton. Edwards has had a great training camp and may be ready to assume more of a wide receiver role. Sutton is a good running back who just needs opportunities and he will get some playing time inMiami.

The Panthers preseason game in Miami will be a success if there are no injuries and the team continues to jell. I don’t pay much attention to wins and losses in preseason; I just want to see solid play with few turnovers and penalties. Let the Cam Newton era of starting begin!

The Carolina Panthers defeated the New York Giants 20 to 10 in the first preseason game for either team. Cam Newton was the man Panther fans wanted to see and he played well for a rookie.

I was impressed that Newton wasn’t afraid to check down to a secondary receiver and wasn’t forcing the ball. In Newton’s NFL debut he threw 19 passes and completed 8 of them for 134 yards, with no touchdowns or interceptions. In the Panthers first preseason game Newton didn’t look nervous or get flustered by the defense.

Brett Jensen said on his “OTB” radio show last week that Cam seems to throw more accurately on his long passes than the short stuff. “OTB” can be heard on WFNZ which is Charlotte’s best sports radio station in my opinion.

Cam Newton did indeed look more accurate on the longer passes that he threw, but he didn’t turn the ball over. Turnovers are the bane of rookie quarterbacks and are important to avoid even in preseason.

Jimmy Clausen the former Notre Dame QB taken in the 2^nd round of the 2010 NFL draft actually started the Panthers preseason game with the Giants. Jimmy Clausen completed 4 of 7 passes for 69 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Clausen looked a little more composed that what he showed last year.

Other than Cam Newton I think the Panthers fans were interested in how Greg Olsen would do in the preseason game. Olsen didn’t disappoint as he caught 3 passes for 58 yards and a touchdown. Mike Goodson had a decent night except for two fumbles which have plagued him in the past. Armanti Edwards showed that he has worked hard this offseason to overcome last year’s “Bust” tag. Edwards make a difficult catch and did well on two punt returns.  

Linebacker Thomas Williams had a nice night with 7 tackles and 1 quarterback sack. Jordan Pugh got a sack on a blitz to go with two tackles from the defensive secondary. Cornerback Robert McClain had a nice night which was much needed for this team in need of help at that position.

The Panthers preseason game against the Giants marked the beginning of a new era for the team. Orlindo Mare has replaced original Carolina Panther John Kasay as the kicker. Kasay was released due to his inability to kick off with any distance. Mare already had a home near Charlotte and told a friend of mine last year he would not be a Panther. Well things change fast in the NFL.

 
Considering that the Panthers have a new coaching staff and a shortened offseason due to the lockout, I was impressed in their preseason win over the Giants. Be sure to check back here soon to see my thoughts about the upcoming preseason game between the Panthers and Dolphins.