The Carolina Panthers’ preseason opener did not go well. It went so poorly, in fact, that one unit needed a private meeting already.
The Panthers’ offensive line held a closed-door meeting after being called out by coach Frank Reich following Saturday’s 27-0 loss to the New York Jets. The performance certainly justified the criticism, as rookie quarterback Bryce Young took three big hits, including a sack, on just seven pass plays.
“We had to keep it real with each other,” tackle Cam Erving said, via David Newton of ESPN. “The s— wasn’t good enough. Top to bottom, no matter if it’s preseason, regular season, the s— was not good enough. Any level, from any position, myself included, especially my f—ing self. All we can do is try to regroup and fix it.”
The Panthers need their offensive line to be good. Not only are they protecting the No. 1 overall pick, but Young is a guy who has heard plenty of concerns about his size. He bounced back fine from the hits he took Saturday, but the Panthers will not want him to have to make a habit of it.
Young wound up finishing a modest 4-of-6 for 21 yards on 10 plays, partly because of the pressure he was under.
