Pittsburgh Steelers
Carolina Panthers
NFL Network | Thursday, August 21st 7:00 PM EDT
The Carolina Panthers will wrap up their preseason slate on Thursday at Bank of America Stadium against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
It’s been a rough start to the preseason for the Panthers, who are 0-2 in their first two games against the Cleveland Browns and Houston Texans. In those two games, the Panthers were outscored by their opponents 50-13.
Ejiro Evero already has his work cut out for him in his third season. One year after one of the worst defensive performances in not just Panthers history, but NFL history, the Panthers have done little to show they improved that side of the ball in the offseason.
In the Panthers’ first two games, the Panthers were outgained in yards, 575-410.
The frustration boiled over in practice on Tuesday, as Panthers got into a fight on the practice field. Head coach Dave Canales said while he appreciates the edge the team has, he wants to make sure the team doesn’t overdo it.
“That’s the edgeness we have to play with,” Canales said. “Sometimes it goes a little too far. Now, you throw a punch, your gone. Now, where are we at? Where does the rest of the team sit.”
The Steelers have been uneven this preseason. After scoring 31 points in their win against the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Steelers failed to have similar success against the Panthers’ division rival, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, falling to the Bucs 17-14.
The Panthers will have some luck on their side on Thursday. While the Steelers said they plan to play most of their starters, quarterback Aaron Rodgers, wide receiver D.K. Metcalf, defensive end Cam Heyward and outside linebacker T.J. Watt are all expected to sit out the final preseason game.
Thursday’s game will be the last chance Panthers fans will get to see Bryce Young working with Tetairoa McMillan, the Panthers’ first round draft pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. While the offense hasn’t performed as well as the team would’ve liked, many have looked at the budding connection Young has found with the rookie from Arizona with some promise.