The Carolina Panthers took on the Miami Dolphins yesterday in what was a very intense preseason game. Week 2 of practice games have come and gone for these two teams, but there is still plenty of work to do moving forward.
Miami made quite a few offseason additions this past year in order to get back into contention for an AFC playoff position. Ndamukong Suh was their biggest signing, but they signed a couple of others and also acquired some talent in trades. It certainly seems like they made the necessary moves to compete this season, but looking that way on paper and proving it on-the-field is a completely different story.
Carolina, on the other hand, is looking to take a big leap forward from last season. They were able to win the NFC South and make the playoffs, but they did so only because all of the other teams in their division struggled mightily. Cam Newton is looking to prove he was worth the big contract extension that he received, but the injury to star second-year wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin was a huge setback for them.
That being said, what five takeaways can be seen from the Week 2 preseason game between these two teams?
1. Ryan Tannehill Is Ready to Reach Full Potential
Ryan Tannehill is heading into his fourth NFL season, and he showed major signs of stardom last year. Miami needs him to reach his full potential and be a legitimate franchise quarterback, and that is exactly what he will do. He threw for 102 yards and a touchdown while completing 12 of his 15 passing attempts, and the Dolphins should be very excited about what will happen this year.
2. Jarrett Boykin Will Step Up for Panthers at WR
Just two years ago with the Green Bay Packers, Jarrett Boykin appeared to be a budding star. That didn’t end up happening for the Packers or Boykin, but his fresh start in Carolina will be a big help to get his career back on track with the injury to Benjamin forcing him into a larger role. He caught six passes for 53 yards last night, and is without question showing the type of talent again that he showed a couple seasons ago.
3. Josh Freeman Won’t Make the Dolphins Roster
Despite the fact that Josh Freeman connected on a 56-yard touchdown pass, he also threw an interception and completed just one of his five pass attempts. He has been trying to revive his NFL career, but that won’t happen with the Dolphins. It will be interesting to see what ends up happening throughout the next couple weeks, but at this point in time there isn’t much of a chance that Freeman will keep his roster spot with Miami.
4. Cameron Artis-Payne Could Be an Impact Player for the Panthers
One of the biggest question marks for the Panthers heading into the 2015 season is what they will do at the running back position. DeAngelo Williams ended up leaving in free agency which left Jonathan Stewart as the number one back, but Cameron Artis-Payne was brought on board to help. He showed that he could be an impact player this season with a solid four-carry, 33 yard game on the ground.
5. Both Teams Will Take the Leap They’re Wanting
As previously mentioned, the Panthers and Dolphins are both looking to improve themselves from last season. That is exactly what will happen, and they will both look much improved from what they left on-the-field last year. It will be interesting to see if they’re both able to make the postseason, but they certainly will have a chance to do so.
