Panthers film review: Rookies flash in preseason opener against Browns
With the NFL finally returning to some real in-game action, we took a dive into the All-22 film for some lessons from the 30-10 defeat. While sloppy at times, the Panthers proved to be a physical squad—bringing their effort despite the not-so-successful results.
We also learned a few things about a few notable players.
Here are a handful of key takeaways from the film . . .
Bobby Brown III could be a huge piece in 2025
Defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero had operated without a true nose tackle during his previous two years in Carolina. That has changed, now that the Panthers have added former Los Angeles Rams defensive lineman Bobby Brown III.
The 6-foot-4, 332-pounder should end up being a significant upgrade for this Panthers defense, which allowed a league-worst (by far) 179.8 rushing yards per contest in 2024. He has the ability to take on double teams and can be effective on passing downs, as evidenced by his team-high five pressures on Friday.
Brown showed his power, quickness and penetration skills throughout the contest . . .
Austin Corbett has the lead in the center battle
The battle for the starting center job between Austin Corbett and Cade Mays may be the biggest one of all in Carolina this summer. And on Friday, Corbett showed why he's currently listed as the first-stringer.
Corbett may have already returned to form after missing 12 games last season due to a biceps injury. He was consistent at resetting his hands and base when needed, anchoring well to stonewall interior rushes.
Mays is a good mover for his size and will bully defenders as he so chooses. There were some instances where he contained stunt/twist games up front, with emphasis on anchoring and hand placement. However, there were times when defenders succeeded in attacking his outside shoulder, and he lost a rep or two in the process.
This should be a competitive fight to the end, but Corbett has the lead and may not look back.
Nic Scourton flashes potential
2025 third-round pick Nic Scourton shined, eating up space with quickness and impressive movement skills in the open field.
There were times when he played out of control in his rushes, but he still brought consistent pressure off the edge. The rookie outside linebacker displays outstanding effort and pursuit ability, as evidenced by his chase-down sack of Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders.
While there will be a learning curve for the soon-to-be 21-year-old, the explosiveness and power from Scourton already translates.
Dan Morgan's latest undrafted gem
Former Louisville cornerback Corey Thornton has been one of the standout rookies in Panthers training camp this summer. He's really forced himself into the forefront over the past week, filling in for starter Jaycee Horn both at Fan Fest and in this exhibition outing.
Thornton has good size and length at 6-foot-1 and possesses the physical temperament that could be helpful in man-to-man looks. He is physical in coverage, especially press-man, though some false steps cost him at times.
One of the highlights of the night came off an end-around by Cleveland in the second quarter—where Thornton accelerated downhill, came to balance, then picked up and threw the ball carrier to the ground.
Quick hitters
Jalen Coker is making a case to be the No. 2 target on this Panthers offense. His ball skills, football intelligence and route running flashed in a big way, including on a 5-yard touchdown reception.
Inside linebackers Trevin Wallace and Christian Rozeboom will benefit from Carolina's upgrades on the defensive line. Wallace, for example, was able to collect a run stop in the first quarter when the interior front swallowed up double teams to help free the B-gap.
With offensive coordinator Brad Idzik calling plays last night, the cadence, communication and play-call tendencies were drastically different. In short, it was a 'vanilla' approach Friday evening, which may partially explain the drop in play from the first-team to the second-team unit.
The same can be said for Evero's defense, which was being called by defensive passing game coordinator Jonathan Cooley. Like the offense, the defense had different tendencies, cadences, calls and more. However, the similarities between both unites exemplified a physical brand of football for all four quarters, despite the blowout.
Not the news that Demani Richardson fans were wanting to hear, but the second-year safety still has a lot of room for improvement. He took bad angles to the ball and was responsible for giving up a few big plays. He may be losing ground to 2025 fourth-round pick Lathan Ransom and veteran Nick Scott, one of the two current starters at the position.This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: Panthers film review: Rookies flash in preseason opener against Browns
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Before joining FOX Sports as an NFL reporter and columnist, Henry McKenna spent seven years covering the Patriots for USA TODAY Sports Media Group and Boston Globe Media. Follow him on Twitter at @henrycmckenna. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily!
Fox News
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2025 Big Bets Report: Bettor Turns $10 into $30k via 13-Leg Parlay
Plenty of people question why anyone would bet on NFL preseason odds. But sharp bettors who do their research often find edges that don't exist in the regular season. And for the public betting masses, let's be honest: They can't get enough of the NFL, no matter the time of year. With that, a Caesars Sportsbook customer was in midseason parlay form with NFL preseason Week 2 odds, and it paid off handsomely. Read on for more on that customer's wager and other notable bets on NFL and College Football Playoff odds. Moneyline Madness There were three preseason games last Thursday, leaving 13 to go on the Friday-Saturday-Sunday schedule. And at some point on Friday, a bettor decided to get in on all 13 of those games at once. The customer placed a $10, 13-leg moneyline parlay bet, meaning every team chosen — including several underdogs — had to win outright. Obviously, there's a lot of luck involved in winning these lottery-ticket types of wagers. Even more so with this one. Friday's Lions-Falcons game was called with 6:31 remaining in the fourth quarter, after a potentially serious injury suffered by Lions safety Morice Norris. Thankfully, after staying overnight in an Atlanta hospital, Norris flew back to Detroit on Saturday and is doing well in concussion protocol. As for the game outcome, most sportsbooks' house rules require 55 minutes of game time in order for a betting result to be official. The Lions-Falcons game was suspended after 53:29, with Detroit leading 17-10. The bettor had Atlanta moneyline as one leg, but that was voided due to the game not meeting the time requirement. However, the wager was still live, now as a 12-leg parlay. Then on Sunday, the Dolphins and Bears played to a 24-24 tie. The bettor had the Dolphins moneyline, but in the event of a tie, that result is discarded, too. So the parlay dropped to 11 legs. And as fate would have it, the remaining 11 legs hit. The only semi-sweat: The Cardinals got a field goal with 3:47 remaining, as the final points in a 20-17 victory over the Chiefs. So even though the parlay dropped from 13 legs to 11 legs, that 10 bucks still turned into a whopping $30,978. You can't argue with that kind of ROI. Super Bowl Dreams The Bills and Ravens are +600 co-favorites in DraftKings Sportsbook's Super Bowl odds. Close behind are the defending champion Eagles (+700) and the Chiefs (+850), with the popular Lions the +1100 fifth choice. Those teams are all seeing plenty of action to lift the Lombardi Trophy on Feb. 8. But as mentioned last week, at this time of year, fans of the worst teams have high hopes, too. That includes a New York Jets backer with a somewhat curiously sized bet. The DraftKings customer put $3,196.96 — yep, 96 cents too — on Jets +25000 to win the Super Bowl. In easier-to-digest numbers, that's 250/1 odds, putting New York 30th among the 32 NFL teams. If somehow Justin Fields & Co. do the unthinkable, then the bettor wins a massive $799,240 (total payout $802,436.96). Running Men A Caesars Sports customer is hoping the Packers have their rushing attack in good order this season. The bettor put $200 on the Packers recording at least one rushing touchdown in every regular-season game. The odds of doing so are a sizable +6000. So, if Green Bay manages to do it, then the bettor profits $12,000. Caesars also took another notable bet tied to running backs, and this one is a much longer shot. A customer put $500 on Las Vegas Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty winning the NFL MVP award, at odds of +25000 (250/1). It's highly unlikely, but the payout is a healthy $62,500 if Jeanty has a rookie season for the ages. I Like Big Bets and I Cannot Lie A BetMGM customer in Arizona has got some serious interest in who wins the College Football Playoff. And the customer has three options to cash out for a lot of money. In late June, the bettor showed up at BetMGM's sportsbook adjacent to the Arizona Cardinals' stadium in Glendale, Ariz. The customer proceeded to make three major wagers: At the moment, Texas is the +475 favorite in BetMGM's college football national championship odds. Penn State is the +700 fourth choice, and Clemson has climbed to the +900 co-fifth choice, joined by Oregon. The bettor's total investment is $615,000. The potential profit on Texas and Penn State titles is exactly the same, at $1.5 million. A Clemson title is ostensibly the same, with a profit of $1.495 million. It's gonna be a long haul to the Jan. 19 championship game. Perennial title contenders Georgia and Alabama, among others, will have a say in who goes out on top. All I can say is good luck, and remind the rest of you that these big bets often come from high-roller types who can afford them. Keep it reasonable. Never bet more than you can afford to lose. Patrick Everson is a sports betting analyst for FOX Sports and senior reporter for He is a distinguished journalist in the national sports betting space. He's based in Las Vegas, where he enjoys golfing in 110-degree heat. Follow him on X: @PatrickE_Vegas. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily!
