Haynes King made the kind of preseason debut that gets people talking, even if the game itself won’t count for much in the standings. The Carolina Panthers edged the Arizona Cardinals 33-30 in the Hall of Fame Game, and King’s late stretch into the end zone as time expired sealed it. For a game that means nothing in the record book, it still offered a useful snapshot of who helped and who hurt their stock.
King was the clear winner. He finished 21 of 34 for 219 total yards, three total touchdowns and no interceptions, and he looked comfortable running the show.
By the Panthers’ read, he had only one truly bad miss all night, and he handled the moment with the kind of poise that can change a backup quarterback conversation fast. He might be the new backup QB.
Jimmy Horn Jr. also came away with a boost. One of King’s best throws of the night was a beautiful route for what should have been a touchdown to Horn, and even though the pass wasn’t completed, Horn still had a strong overall showing.
He had been relatively quiet in camp, so this was the kind of night he needed. He made a few nice catches and gave the offense a real lift.
The Panthers’ receiver group had a solid showing overall, but David Moore did not separate himself. The veteran wideout is well liked by the coaching staff, yet he did nothing notable in the game. In a night when others flashed, Moore’s lack of impact stood out.
Brad Idzik’s offense also came away with some positive notes. The Panthers have viewed it as an extension of the Dave Canales system, and the play-calling looked sharp in the Hall of Fame Game. That’s one of the few preseason takeaways that actually carries some weight, and it was encouraging to see it on point.
Not everything was clean on the Panthers’ side, though. Will Lee entered the game with some buzz after a strong training camp and talk that he could force his way onto the field as a rookie, but that momentum cooled quickly. He did have a pass breakup, but he also got beat badly a few times in coverage.
The secondary as a whole had a rough night. Carson Beck and his receivers picked them apart in the first half, with cornerbacks and safeties giving up too much space and failing to create any real disruption. The Panthers were lucky Beck didn’t keep going.
Lee Hunter also got an opportunity, but it didn’t lead to much. He looked raw and rough around the edges, which was not what the Panthers had expected coming out of college. He’ll need time before he gets rolling.
In Other News...
Buccaneers Receiver Battle Suddenly Has One Name Fans Cant Ignore
The Buccaneers eighth day of training camp brought the usual mix of absences and evaluation work, but one receiver kept pushing his way into the conversation. Dean Patterson has been one of the more noticeable standouts early in camp, turning in strong practices and making the kind of plays that force a coaching staff to keep taking notice as the roster battle at wideout starts to sharpen.
Meanwhile, other young receivers are still working through the rough edges that come with camp. Emeka Egbuka, in particular, has had moments that show the learning curve against press and man coverage, which is exactly where these battles get decided. With so many reps still to be sorted out, Pattersons continued surge gives this competition a name fans cant really ignore anymore. [Read more 🡒]
Bucs Camp Standouts Are Starting To Change The Roster Conversation
A padded practice at Buccaneers training camp brought a little extra edge to the day, with former players Tony Mayberry and Donnie Abraham looking on as a handful of current defenders and receivers made their case. Dean Patterson IV turned in another eye-catching session on offense, while Zyon McCollum and Josh Hayes kept showing up in coverage for a secondary trying to sort itself out. Christian Rozeboom also drew notice at linebacker, adding to the sense that the roster battles on this side of camp are getting more interesting by the day.
David Walker may have made the loudest impression of the group, piling up multiple sacks and forcing the coaching staff to take a harder look at where he fits. For a team still sorting through depth and role players in August, these kinds of practices matter because they can shift the conversation from who is simply in camp to who is actually pushing for meaningful snaps once the season gets going. [Read more 🡒]
Buccaneers May Have Found An Unexpected Answer In The Secondary
Undrafted rookie Ayden Garnes has turned into one of the more intriguing stories of Buccaneers training camp, flashing the kind of athleticism and coverage ability that can quickly change how a staff views a young defensive back. After signing a three-year contract, Garnes has climbed the depth chart with a steady run of strong practices, giving Tampa Bay a possible answer in a secondary that could use more reliable depth.
Todd Bowles has already taken note of the way Garnes has developed and carried himself, especially the confidence he has shown while making plays on the ball. The Buccaneers still have work to do in sorting out their cornerback mix, but Garnes has at least made the competition more interesting, and in camp that can be the first step toward a real role once the games begin. [Read more 🡒]