Should Bryce Young, Panthers Starters Play Preseason Finale vs. Texans?

Panthers have a key decision to make entering their final preseason game

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Three preseason games down, one to go. The Carolina Panthers conclude their preseason at home against the Houston Texans on Friday, August 28th. Carolina's fourth and final preseason game takes place 16 days before Week 1 and just two days before the NFL's cut deadline, when 53-man rosters have to be finalized.

Because the roster cutdown day is just 48 hours after the Panthers' last preseason game, the game is even more important for guys on the bubble between making the roster and not.

Since the game is more important for undrafted free agents or late-round draft picks, it raises the question of whether the starters need to play at all.

Yes, the Starters Need to Play

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It's correct to act cautiously in the preseason; having the starters ready for Week 1 is most important. That being said, the more live-game reps, the more prepared Carolina will be for their season opener against the Chicago Bears.

The Panthers, under head coach Dave Canales, are notorious for slow starts to the season. Each of the last two seasons, Carolina has started 0-2.

Starting fast has to be a point of emphasis for the Panthers moving forward, and if the starters are sluggish and don't have their chemistry down right away, then another 0-2 start could be on the horizon.

As far as how much the starters play, it doesn't have to be much. In each game thus far, the starters who play have logged roughly two series before their night ends. That number doesn't need to bump up much, but three or four drives would feel appropriate, as the season will be just over two weeks away.

Bryce Young and the offense looked like a completely different unit against Jacksonville than they did at Buffalo.

The second drive of that game was the best Young has looked this preseason, finding Tetairoa McMillan and Jalen Coker and leading the Panthers to the one-yard line before Jonathon Brooks walked in a touchdown.

Which Unit Needs In Game Reps the Most

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It's super important for the offense to continue to build chemistry, and for Bryce Young to get more comfortable. That being said, the offense hasn't been the most concerning unit; it's been the secondary.

This especially goes for the Buffalo game. Bills QB Josh Allen and their offense made the Panthers' secondary look silly, constantly finding chunk plays and easy throws down the middle of the field.

D.J. Moore's first @BuffaloBills catch of the preseason goes for 33 yards!

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While Allen is the best QB in the NFL, that doesn't excuse an awful secondary showing. Allen completed 6/8 passes for 111 yards and 1 touchdown in just two drives. The effort against Jacksonville was an improvement by the Carolina secondary, but not against a Jacksonville offense playing all their starters.

Whether Houston plays their starters or not, three or four series from both sides of the ball would be beneficial heading towards the beginning of the regular season.