The Carolina Panthers edge to a 20-9 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars to get their 2015 National Football League season off to a winning start. Players who suffer a concussion are not allowed to speak to the media until medically cleared. While the Panthers have had more success in recent seasons, the loss of Benjamin will be too hard for the team to overcome this early in the season.
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The Carolina Panthers went to Jacksonville and beat the Jaguars 20-9 in the season opener Sunday, but overall it wasn’t an impressive performance from Cam Newton and Co. He appeared a little woozy as he left the field. He was using crutches and wearing a walking boot in the locker room, and said he was scheduled for an MRI later Sunday…. “We’ll follow the protocol as the doctors dictate it, and that’s just the way it is”.
Williams said he once missed four-to-six weeks while at Oklahoma when he sprained the same MCL and “that one was worse”. “We had to have a game like this to see where our bar is and see where we’re at”. But we can’t keep expecting things like that from our defense without any help from us.
But the Jaguars are comfortable with Yeldon as their No. 1 ball-carrier anyway.
At least three of the sacks are on Bortles, not the offensive line.
The Panthers put heavy pressure on Bortles throughout the game.
Greene was targeted 13 times in the game – as many targets as any two other Jaguars combined.
Were called for just three penalties for 22 yards, which were each their fewest ever in a season opener. Luke Kuechly had 7 tackles in one half. But when you fall behind and have to change the game plan and suddenly you’re throwing the ball 40 times and running it 21 times for an offense that wants to be known for its ground game, something’s not right.
Norman’s theft early in the third quarter was a momentum-changer.
Norman stepped in front of a pass intended for running back T.J. Yeldon and went untouched down the sideline.
“On the interception, when my chance came I took it, I ran with it”, Norman said. Tomorrow, he’ll go through the next step, which I think is taking the baseline test and then he’ll be examined by the doctor. It’s no different than when I would catch 10 balls a year ago . “I wanted to give the defense some energy to get going”.
Final diagnosis: concussion. Luke Kuechly is out for the day.
The first touchdown finally came with less than two minutes remaining in the second quarter as Cam Newton found an unmarked Jerricho Cotchery in the endzone to open his account for the season.
Jacksonville receiver Allen Hurns enjoyed a pretty rookie campaign a year ago.
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It might be tight end Greg Olsen, who caught 84 passes for 1,008 yards and six touchdowns last season. To start, kicker Jason Myers left 4 points on the board by way of a missed field goal and extra point.
