Carolina Panthers: Taylor Heinicke starting final preseason game
Taylor Heinicke will start in Thursday’s preseason finale, potentially meaning he has the lead in the race as the Carolina Panthers backup quarterback.
The Carolina Panthers are heading into their final 2018 preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday. One of the major needs that the Panthers looked to fill before the start of the regular season was to find a backup quarterback for Cam Newton.
With three completed games under their belts, it seems like the Panthers are looking at Taylor Heinicke to be the man with the clipboard behind Newton for this upcoming season. When looking at him and Garrett Gilbert, it was a close race that may not even be complete.
David Newton of ESPN tweeted out earlier this week that Heinicke has been tapped as the starting quarterback for Thursday’s game. This is a strong statement for the young player being selected as Newton’s backup.
Both he and Gilbert come with relatively little game experience and the Panthers gave them plenty of opportunities to succeed or fail during the last few weeks of preseason play. It was during that time that Heinicke excelled over his primary competition for the role.
Taylor Heinicke will start at quarterback for the Panthers in the preseason finale at Pittsburgh. This seems to be a clear indication he is the No. 2 quarterback behind Cam Newton heading into the season. The question is will Carolina keep Garrett... https://t.co/F9XOqYTboT
— David Newton (@DNewtonespn) August 28, 2018
When it comes to professional sports, stats are usually the starting point for any player versus player debate. In looking at their preseason stats, Heinicke has a slight edge in that conversation. In three games he’s completed 17-of-24 passes for 70.8 percent and 255 yards.
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This is an important number as new offensive coordinator Norv Turner, tries to turn the Panthers offense into a more efficient group; especially in the passing game. Heinicke hasn’t been perfect as he’s thrown one interception to go along with his one passing touchdown. Last week, he also scored on the ground, running for a one-yard touchdown.
Gilbert’s numbers aren’t bad, but they do not look as good as his colleague’s. He’s completed 15-of-26 passes, good for 57.6 percent. He’s garnered 162 yards through the air, to go with two touchdowns of his own and an average QB Rating of 96.2.
This is an important competition for Carolina and it will be interesting to see how playing time is broken down on Thursday. Newton is a durable quarterback, that’s for sure, but with teams playing him in a much more physical style there’s always concern when he takes off running or takes a big hit. He even had an injury scare during the preseason game against the New England Patriots that caused everyone to hold their breath. The Panthers cannot afford to go into the regular season without a solid backup for their franchise player.
In all honesty, even if Heinicke or Gilbert gets the nod as the backup quarterback, that doesn’t mean the Panthers will not make a move to pick up another veteran if needed. In many ways Colin Kaepernick could be a solid fit for the Panthers as a backup if that situation ever came to fruition. While his name isn’t on any short lists for any team at this point, one must wonder if that could be a possibility if needed.
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With one final game left in the preseason its decision making time for the Carolina Panthers coaching staff. Finding a backup quarterback has been a vital need for the Panthers and it seems like they’ve found their guy going into Thursday’s game.