Carolina ran its record to 2-1 in the NFL preseason with a 34-27 victory over Baltimore.
J-Stew stews: Jonathan Stewart getting treatment at a recent Carolina Panthers practice. The former Webfoot has run for 3836 yards in his 5-year pro career, but he hasn’t been able to practice this season due to ankle injuries. (Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports photo)
Panther’s rookie Kenjon Barner ran back one kickoff for 24 yards, caught a pass for 10 yards, carried twice for 7 yards, all in the second quarter. It was a weird game. The Panthers scored once on a punt return by Ted Ginn jr., twice on interceptions returned for touchdowns, and once forcing a fumble and recovering it in the end zone. One of the pick sixes and the recovered fumble came on back-to-back possessions.
Ginn’s punt return TD ensures Barner is even less likely to return punts for Carolina. When the regular season begins he’s likely to be a third down back and kick returner. The Panther offense has problems. Cam Newton was sacked three times, and the team managed just 75 yards rushing on 24 tries.
Former Duck Jonathan Stewart still is not practicing with the team. He has two injured ankles and is unlikely to be ready for the start of the regular season. In October of last year, Stewart made a $250,000 donation earmarked for the Running Backs Squad Room in what became the Hatfield-Dowlin Football Performance Center.
The former Duck star, who ran for 2,891 yards and 27 touchdowns as a Webfoot, told KATU-TV, “I feel truly blessed to be in a position to give back to the University of Oregon,” Stewart said in a UO news release. “I am blessed to be a part of such an outstanding legacy at the U of O, where I was able to succeed on the field as a player and grow off the field as a man. It gives me great pleasure to give back to a place that gave me so much.”
Last August Stewart signed a five-year, $36.5 million with the club, renegotiated slightly after the season. As a 6th round draft pick Barner garnered a four-year deal worth $2.27 million. His 2013 salary is $405,000.
Haloti Ngata had one tackle for the Ravens. Tight end Ed Dickson has been out with an hamstring injury. He returned to practice this week and should be ready in time for the season.
Detroit bankrupted New England 40-9 at Ford Field, intercepting Tom Brady once and sacking him twice. Lions second-year quarterback Kellen Moore, the former Boise State Bronco who flummoxed the Ducks twice as a collegian, threw for 150 yards and 2 tds in the win, 9-12 passing.
LeGarrette Blount, fighting to be the lead running back for the Pats, had his second lackluster performance carrying the football, punching out just 26 yards on 10 carries. New England fumbled away the football three times in addition to Brady’s pick, managing only a garbage touchdown in the game’s final 32 seconds. This, even with the number one offense in the game for the entire first half.
Week 3 preseason action continues tonight with two games scheduled. Max Unger and Seattle travel to Green Bay, a 5:00 p.m. Pacific kickoff on CBS. The Bears face the Raiders at 7:00 p.m., no live TV, but the third start for Chicago’s first-round draft pick and new offensive line starter Kyle Long.
Wednesday oregonlive.com’s Andrew Grief reported that 2-year Duck starter Darron Thomas signed a contract with the Lincoln Haymakers of the Champions Pro Indoor Football League. Games start in March in the 10-team league, and DT’s former high school head coach Bob Jones is in charge of the offensive and defensive lines for the Haymakers.
Salaries in the league are miniscule, in the vicinity of $200 a game, but it’s an opportunity for Thomas to continue his dream and get exposure as a quarterback.
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