Cat Scratch Reader
We have reached the annual Carolina Panthers vs Pittsburgh Steelers preseason game. It is a beacon of the transition from the preseason to the regular season. It’s a game in which no one of any consequence plays significant snaps, but we all watch most of it because it’s football and it’s the last bit of Panthers football that we’re going to get for two weeks.
The Panthers offense hasn’t looked all that sharp in the first two preseason games aside from one drive against the Browns. Even with that being the case, Dave Canales has already signaled that the team is going to sit the starters to keep them healthy for the regular season. It’s disappointing in the short term from a fan perspective, but it’s understandable. Having a healthy starting lineup is more important than getting a few extra snaps in a game that doesn’t count.
All that makes this a game with little meaning, and that’s especially true on the offensive side of the ball where most of the group is pretty much set in stone. Let’s try to find where there are any glimmers of intrigue.
The Panthers signed former Rams and UFL MVP quarterback Bryce Perkins a couple of days ago, and he’s probably going to get a fair number of snaps in the second half. I wouldn’t even be surprised if neither Andy Dalton nor Bryce Young play and Perkins and Jack Plummer split quarterbacking duties between the two halves. Perkins is a dual threat quarterback that should make for some exciting plays even if the passing isn’t all that refined. He started one game for Los Angeles in 2022 and tossed a touchdown in the team’s loss to the Chiefs.
This doesn’t really mean anything in the grand scheme of things, but it would stoke a little bit of optimism if the Panthers are able to look competent for a little bit of the preseason. Again, none of this correlates, but it’s easy to get uneasy watching the Panthers get pummeled a couple of weeks in a row. Even though it’ll just be backups, seeing the Panthers colors move the ball and put points on the board is good for morale and fan confidence.
