How explosive can the Carolina Panthers be offensively? The first team scored 10 points in the first three drives of Saturday’s 26-16 preseason victory over the Tennessee Titans without Pro Bowl tight end Greg Olsen or backup Ed Dickson.
Olsen, who hasn’t practiced all week because of back spasms, is a big part of the offense. The tight end position in general is.
But Olsen in particular is huge to an offense that topped the NFL in scoring last season. He has led Carolina in receptions the past three years. With him and Dickson out, defending NFL MVP Cam Newton didn’t have a completion to the tight end.
To put that in perspective, the last time Olsen didn’t have a catch in a regular-season game with Newton was the last game of Newton’s rookie season in 2011.
QB depth chart: Coach Ron Rivera wanted three good drives out of Newton and the first-team offense. He got two. Newton came out hot, completing three of his first four passes, including a 61-yard touchdown to Ted Ginn Jr. He finished 8-for-12 for 162 yards, with one of the incompletions a pass knocked down at the line. He made the short passes he has been working to perfect and got Kelvin Benjamin involved with two early completions for 12 and 14 yards. For all that’s been said here about how good Devin Funchess has looked, Benjamin and Newton still have a solid chemistry.
Maybe that dude could start: Backup quarterback Derek Anderson wasn’t mentioned above because there is no competition for the No. 1 spot. But Anderson showed once again why he could start for perhaps a dozen other teams. He completed 12 of 20 passes with backup receivers -- several who won’t make the team -- for 118 yards and a touchdown. Imagine if you put him out there with Olsen, Benjamin and Funchess.
Who got hurt? Safety Trenton Robinson suffered a shoulder injury in the first half and did not return. The fifth-year player out of Michigan State, who signed as a free agent in March, has been one of the surprises of the preseason.
A surprise player who impressed: You haven’t heard much from wide receiver Kevin Norwood during the preseason, but he started to make some plays in practice this week and it carried over into the game with three catches for 31 yards and a touchdown. The Panthers traded with Seattle for Norwood last year after Benjamin suffered a season-ending knee injury. Norwood was active for only one game and didn’t catch a pass. That he likely won’t make the roster shows just how deep the wide receiver position is.
When it was starters vs. starters, the Panthers looked … Not bad. The first-team offense scored a touchdown on its first series, went three-and-out on its second and had a field goal on its third for a 10-0 lead before going three-and-out on the final series with Newton. The first-team defense held the Titans to 49 yards in the first quarter, ending the first drive with an interception and the second with a three-and-out.
One reason to be concerned: I’m totally sold on second-round draft pick James Bradberry as one starting corner, but third-round pick Daryl Worley appears vulnerable. He was beat in practice several times this past week on deep throws, and he didn’t come close to slowing down Titans wide receiver Tajae Sharpe, who caught six passes for 68 yards in the first half.
Big-play Bene: Remember when there was concern two weeks ago about cornerback Bene Benwikere coming off a fractured ankle suffered in December? Worry no more. Benwikere started at nickel, where he appears most valuable. He had an interception, a sack and two tackles. He still could move outside if needed (see Worley above), but this defense is better when Benwikere is on the field.
Bud Light: Last week, thanks to Newton, we learned that second-year wide receiver Damiere Byrd's nickname is “Bud Light." This week he showed again why he should make the 53-man roster, catching three passes for 36 yards and returning two punts for 16 yards. He would have had another reception -- and possibly a touchdown -- had Anderson not overthrown him.