It showed immediately. Young was sharp in his limited reps, and Jonathon Brooks — playing extended snaps for the first time since tearing his ACL in December 2024 — punched in a touchdown before Carolina's starters were even done for the night. AJ Dillon added a rushing score of his own, while Jacksonville's Nick Mullens threw an interception to Chau Smith-Wade and got sacked trying to keep pace. Whatever price got set on this game days out didn't hold much once Lawrence's inactive status became known.
Carolina closed it out 34-17, a final that locked in early when severe weather forced both teams off the field at the two-minute warning. It's Carolina's second preseason game with a win, one loss on the ledger, while Jacksonville dropped to 1-1 in exhibition play after beating New Orleans the week before. None of it counts for the regular season, but roster jobs are very much on the line for both sidelines heading toward final cuts.
Carolina's form shows a team that's alternated wins and losses all preseason, while Jacksonville had strung together a couple of competitive weeks before Friday's letdown. The gap here wasn't really about depth — it was about who Jacksonville chose to dress.
The box score tells it plainly: Carolina's offense did its damage early and often, and Jacksonville's backups never found an answer once they fell behind by two scores.
Both rosters will look almost unrecognizable by Week 1. Carolina still has to sort out Phillips, Legette and Waller's practice availability, and Jacksonville needs Lawrence back on the field well before games start counting. For now, this one goes in the book as exactly what it was — a preseason blowout that says more about who suited up than who's actually better.