This wasn’t really a huge shocker, but still interesting, nonetheless. Carolina Panthers head coach, Matt Rhule, has told reporters that Baker Mayfield has beaten out Sam Darnold and P.J. Walker to be Carolina’s starting QB come Week 1.
The moment Carolina traded for Baker Mayfield everyone knew that he was going to win the starting QB spot from Sam Darnold. Why else would Carolina have traded for Mayfield if they didn’t want him starting over the 2018 1st-round bust (yes, it is harsh, but that’s what Sam Darnold unfortunately is).
To be honest, if Mayfield didn’t win this QB battle, I’d be seriously questioning his future in the NFL as quarterback. That’s how bad Sam Darnold played last season.
The former New York Jets quarterback only had 2,527 passing yards, 9 TD passes, a 59.9% completion percentage, and threw 13 interceptions. Oh, and he was benched in favor of an injured battered, broken Cam Newton. Simply put, Sam Darnold’s time as a starting QB has come and gone as he can now be officially added to the list of QBs destroyed by the New York Jets.
At this point, the Jets might just have to replace their Ring of Honor with a ring of broken QB helmets. I can’t think of too many other teams in the NFL that have consistently drafted high-end talented QBs and ruined their potential and careers. Ah, the life of being a Jets fan.
Anyway, back to Baker, I think that he could really shine in this Carolina team. He has Christian McCaffrey, a Top-5 running back as long as he stays healthy, in the backfield and DJ Moore, a bonified #1 WR, to throw to. And with this team’s defense being deceptively good, the Panthers might have an outside chance at the third and final wild card spot.
That is if Baker’s O-line holds up.
This has been one of the main issues with the Carolina Panthers organization these past 10-20 years. It is the main reason why Cam Newton has become a hobbled version of his 2016 MVP self. His O-lines allowed him to get absolutely clocked and drilled on nearly every single snap. And the 2021 O-line wasn’t any kinder to Darnold or Newton.
The 2021 Carolina Panthers offensive line gave up 52 sacks across the 17 games they played, which was 5th worst in the NFL. Bad, right? Well, this terrible O-line play isn’t something Baker Mayfield is new to either.
In comparison, the Cleveland Browns offensive line gave up 49 sacks in their 17 games, which was 6th worst. Plus, the Cleveland O-line was the main reason why Baker injured his shoulder (which eventually caused him to lose his starting job in Cleveland) in the first place.
Just like Darnold and Newton, Baker Mayfield has been cursed with terrible O-lines most of his career. Yet, the 2021 Carolina O-line was probably a downgrade compared to what he’s used to.
However, the Panthers knew this as they have addressed the issue by signing LA Rams Super Bowl winning guard Autin Corbett and drafting tackled Ikem Ekwonu 6th overall.
Both of these were smart moves by the front office as these two players should fill up some holes the former O-line constantly showed last season. Hopefully, for Baker’s sake, the Panthers O-line has a much better season protecting their QB.
This is definitely going to be an interesting year in Carolina as not only will Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold continue to compete for the starting QB spot, but Matt Rhule will also be trying to save his job as the Panthers look to avoid another year outside the playoffs.
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