The Carolina Panthers won their preseason game in week three against the Buffalo Bills 31-26. Quarterback Bryce Young played for the first time this preseason and showed a promising performance. In addition, 14 other teams were in action last night.
Young was used in one drive, which he concluded with a touchdown to Jordan Matthews. In addition, the 23-year-old was confident in the pocket, completing six of eight passes for 70 yards and had a highlight pass of 17 yards to receiver Diontae Johnson on fourth down.
If Young, who was on the field with his starting offense, can carry this performance over into the regular season, then the Panthers have a good chance of doing much better than in 2023.
Bryce Young finds Jordan Matthews in the end zone ‼️
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— NFL (@NFL) August 24, 2024
Preseason Week III at a glance
Carolina Panthers @ Buffalo Bills 31:26
- Panthers Notes: Bryce Young and the First Offense produced a clean scoring drive.
- Bills note: Frank Gore Jr. – son of NFL legend Frank Gore Sr. – had 18 runs for 101 yards and a touchdown. Is that enough for the final roster?
Green Bay Packers @ Baltimore Ravens 30:7
- Packers note: The Packers used the game to find the fourth running back for their roster. Emanuel Wilson (11 runs, 52 yards), Nate McCrary (11 runs, 64 yards) and Ellis Merriweather (16 runs, 74 yards) all submitted a similar application.
- Ravens note: The Ravens rested their starters, and none of the backups particularly drew attention to themselves.
Detroit Lions @ Pittsburgh Steelers 24:17
- Lions note: Backup quarterback Hendon Hooker had a lot of ups and downs in his game.
- Steelers note: Neither Russell Wilson nor Justin Fields made much of an impact against the Lions’ second defense. Head Coach Tomlin faces a tough decision as to which quarterback will be on the field in week one.
Houston Texans @ Los Angeles Rams 17:15
- Texans note: Running back Cam Akers did some self-promotion, gaining 53 yards in seven runs and hoping for a roster spot.
- Rams note: The Rams only allowed the third suit onto the gridiron. Former CFL quarterback Dresser Winn played his way to the forefront with a solid game and could make the roster at least temporarily, since top backup Jimmy Garoppolo is serving a suspension at the start of the season.
Minnesota Vikings @ Philadelphia Eagles 26:3
- Vikings Note: Quarterback Jaren Hall promoted himself for the spot behind starter Sam Darnold. Hall completed 17 of 25 passes for 189 yards and five scoring drives.
- Eagles note: Rookie Cooper DeJean was able to get plenty of playing time after a thigh injury, played 43 defensive snaps and was active on the special teams.
Los Angeles Chargers @ Dallas Cowboys 26:19
- Chargers note: Tony Jefferson is back! After a year off from his career, he made an impressive comeback against the Cowboys with 14 tackles, two interceptions, a sack and a fumble.
- Cowboys note: Trey Lance was allowed to continue to gain match practice, but was never confident in the passing game, but was at least a source of unrest with his athleticism.
New York Jets @ New York Giants 10:6
- Jets note: In the absence of runners Breece Hall and Braelon, Israel Abanikanda submitted his application. He ran for 83 yards in nine attempts, including a highlight run of 45 yards for a touchdown.
- Giants note: The hype surrounding backup Tommy DeVito should come to an end. Against the Jets, he suffered eight (!!!) sacks and completed only 14 of 27 passes for just 103 yards.
Seattle Seahawks @ Cleveland Browns 37:33
- Seahawks Notes: Geno Smith made his preseason debut, leading a clean touchdown drive.
- Browns Notes: Fifth-round pick Jamari Thrash continues to make a name for himself, catching four passes for 73 yards and showing he’s an option.
Jacksonville Jaguars @ Atlanta Falcons 31:00
- Jaguars Note: The Jaguars are ready to start the season at the Miami Dolphins in week one.
- Falcons note: Everyone is looking at the decision regarding Kevin King. Is his performance enough for a place on the final roster?
Miami Dolphins @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers 14:24
- Dolphins note: Rookie running back Jaylen Wright showed that he is an alternative with seven runs for 36 yards. In addition, quarterback Skylar Thompson has caught up with Mike White in the race for the backup role behind Tua Tagovailoa with 19 of 27 passes for 190 yards and two touchdowns with one interception.
- Buccaneers note: Baker Mayfield feels comfortable in offensive coordinator Liam Coen’s scheme. As does backup Kyle Trask, who had the most playing time and completed 17 of 24 passes for 141 yards and two touchdowns.
San Francisco 49ers @ Las Vegas Raiders 24:24
- 49ers note: Isaac Guerendo is fun. The 6’1″ and 220 pound wrecking ball running back recorded a 92-yard kickoff return.
- Raiders note: What Guerendo can do, Tyreik McAllister can do even better. The running back recorded an 81-yard punt return touchdown and added a receiving touchdown.
Chicago Bears @ Kansas City Chiefs 34:21
- Bears Notes: Tyson Bagent has established himself as Caleb Williams’ first backup. He delivered an impressive 44-yard pass play and finished his preseason with 17 of 25 passes for 207 yards, two touchdowns, no interceptions and one rushing score.
- Chiefs: The Carson Steele hype train is running! In addition, quarterback Ian Book delivered a clean game with 6 of 9 passes for 72 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Indianapolis Colts @ Cincinnati Bengals 27:14
- Colts notes: Two rookies shined. First-round pick Laiatu Latu collected a sack and second-round pick Adonai Mitchell caught a touchdown pass.
- Bengals note: The depth in the defense is good. The second suit of the Bengals defense only allowed one score in the first drive against the first offense of the Colts in the first half.
About the author
Dirk Kaiser
Dirk Kaiser has been active in the field of American football for over 20 years at various levels. In addition to the NFL, he also covers the ELF and GFL for TOUCHDOWN24.
