FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The Panthers gave most of the work in joint practices this week to quarterbacks Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold, so they're going to provide the rest of the room a chance tonight.
And they're going to mix it up a bit, to give PJ Walker and Matt Corral an opportunity to work on more equal footing.
Walker will play the first and the third quarters tonight against the Patriots at Gillette Stadium, and Corral will play the second and fourth quarters.
Panthers head coach Matt Rhule said that offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo wanted to give them a chance to see what the backup role is like during the regular season.
"It's two things; we want to see them both with the same groups, as best we can, so they both have the same set of receivers, and there's a consistency there," Rhule said. "And then we see them with the third group, so there's some consistency there.
"Then the second part, and this was coach McAdoo's idea, and his perspective, as a backup quarterback, you have to be ready to go in the game at a moment's notice, and you have to be able to excel and play well without having much of a chance to warm up. This is our way of simulating that for them, where they have to warm up and get cooled down and go in there and be hot; that's how I see it."
McAdoo said the challenge for both Walker and Corral would be to play well when they're on the field, of course, but also stay engaged through the whole game from a mental and physical perspective.
"They don't have time to get ready; they have to stay ready through the course of the game. And this is a way to test them on that," McAdoo said. "They obviously have to see the game as it unfolds, they have to play the game on the sideline, they have to keep their legs loose and their arms loose throughout the course of the game, so they'll have to do that in the game."
Walker got more reps in the first preseason game, with Corral, this year's third-round pick, coming in for the fourth quarter.
View photos from Wednesday's practice with the New England Patriots in Foxborough.
DE - 53 - Brian Burns
RB - 41 - Spencer Brown
RB - 41 - Spencer Brown
WR - 12 - Shi Smith
S - 42 - Sam Franklin Jr.
DT - 78 - Marquan McCall
LB - 46 - Arron Mosby
DT - 99 - Matt Ioannidis
DT - 54 - Daviyon Nixon
DT - 54 - Daviyon Nixon
DT - 71 - Phil Hoskins
DE - 96 - Austin Larkin
DE - 53 - Brian Burns
S - 21 - Jeremy Chinn
LB - 49 - Frankie Luvu
LB - 55 - Cory Littleton
DE - 53 - Brian Burns
DE - 98 - Marquis Haynes Sr.
CB - 26 - Donte Jackson
CB - 8 - Jaycee Horn
CB - 29 - Duke Dawson Jr.
DE - 91 - Drew Jordan
DE - 90 - Amaré Barno
LB - 57 - Damien Wilson
DT - 54 - Daviyon Nixon
QB - 6 - Baker Mayfield
QB - 6 - Baker Mayfield
QB - 6 - Baker Mayfield
QB - 6 - Baker Mayfield
RB - 22 - Christian McCaffrey
QB - 6 - Baker Mayfield
QB - 6 - Baker Mayfield
QB - 6 - Baker Mayfield
QB - 14 - Sam Darnold
QB - 6 - Baker Mayfield
QB - 6 - Baker Mayfield
DE - 53 - Brian Burns
TE - 84 - Stephen Sullivan
LB - 49 - Frankie Luvu
K - 5 - Zane Gonzalez
DE - 91 - Drew Jordan
DE - 91 - Drew Jordan
G - 73 - Mike Jordan
LB - 55 - Cory Littleton
RB - 33 - D'Onta Foreman
DE - 97 - Yetur Gross-Matos
DT - 78 - Marquan McCall
QB - 9 - Matt Corral
DE - 97 - Yetur Gross-Matos
LB - 48 - Khalan Tolson
CB - 35 - Kalon Barnes
RB - 33 - D'Onta Foreman
LB - 55 - Cory Littleton
DT - 99 - Matthew Ioannidis
DE - 53 - Brian Burns
RB - 37 - John Lovett
K - 5 - Zane Gonzalez
P - 10 - Johnny Hekker
S - 21 - Jeremy Chinn
S - 21 - Jeremy Chinn
S - 21 - Jeremy Chinn
S - 21 - Jeremy Chinn
S - 42 - Sam Franklin Jr.
QB - 14 - Sam Darnold
T - 79 - Ikem Ekwonu
T - 70 - Brady Christensen
RB - 22 - Christian McCaffrey
WR - 2 - DJ Moore
WR - 2 - DJ Moore
K - 5 - Zane Gonzalez
QB - 6 - Baker Mayfield
General Manager Scott Fitterer
RB - 33 - D'Onta Foreman
Steve Smith Sr.
T - 70 - Brady Christensen
