Carolina Panthers: 3 Standouts from Preseason Week 1 vs. Bears

The Carolina Panthers opened up the 2019 preseason with a win over the Bears but who were the standouts in the victory for Ron Rivera‘s team?

After a disappointing 2018 season, the Carolina Panthers opened up the 2019 preseason with a matchup at Soldier Field against the Chicago Bears. Cam Newton didn’t make an appearance in the exhibition opener but the Cats clawed for a hard-fought win over their opponents, winning 23-13.

In Newton’s absence, guys like Will Grier and Kyle Allen were able to submit their resumes for the backup quarterback job, though no one really took the job by the horns in a noticeable way. Meanwhile, rookie running back Elijah Holyfield may have notched two touchdowns — including the game-winner — but an early fumble marred his performance. On top of that, rookie offensive tackle Greg Little was inconsistent at best.

While there were plenty of Panthers players that didn’t step up to the occasion, there were others that took advantage of their opportunities in Week 1 of the preseason.

Let’s take a look at three big Carolina Panthers standouts from their win over the Bears.

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3. Marquis Haynes, DE

After being selected in the fourth round of the 2018 draft, Marquis Haynes didn’t play much of a role for Carolina’s defense throughout his rookie year. On the stat sheet, the Ole Miss product put just four tackles to his credit in the box score. Thus, he really needed to do something to start instilling faith in his abilities moving forward. He accomplished that against Chicago.

Haynes was arguably the most productive player for the Panthers on either side of the ball, registering four total tackles, two sacks, three tackles for loss and four quarterback hits on the night. The Panthers are in the midst of reworking their defense this offseason and, if Haynes performs at this level moving forward, he will undoubtedly play a sizable part of that.

2. Terry Godwin, WR/PR

A seventh-round pick by the Panthers this year, Terry Godwin had a nice career at Georgia but his mediocre athletic testing and diminutive stature led to him falling. And while he didn’t play a big role in the offense against Chicago, Godwin still put his mark on the game.

In addition to his one catch for 10 yards, Godwin showcased his ability as a punt returner, breaking one return off for an electric 57-yarder and then taking his other for a solid 22-yard return. The Panthers are in need of players that can establish themselves as reliable return men and Godwin submitted his first case as to why he can be that guy.

1. Brian Burns, DE

Brian Burns checked every box he needed to in the pre-draft process this year. He put fantastic film together at Florida State, added healthy weight to address concerns about his lack of size and tore up the NFL Combine with his athletic testing. Yet, he still fell to the middle of the first round where the Carolina Panthers selected him. And in his first preseason action, he showed why he could be one of the biggest steals of the draft.

Throughout the night, Burns showed his tremendous burst and speed coming off the edge and was a handful for the Bears offensive line consistently. He ended up with two sacks to show for his efforts and put the rest of the league on notice regarding his talent. If he can carry this type of performance into the regular season, Burns could make a legitimate Defensive Rookie of the Year case.