National Football League

Panthers passing game struggles in scrimmage

Published Aug. 7, 2010 4:15 p.m. ET

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Much of the talk during the first 1 1/2 weeks of training camp focused on the improvements the Carolina Panthers made in the passing game after finishing 27th in the league last year.

However, it didn't look that way at Saturday's Fan Fest scrimmage.

The first-team offense managed just two first downs in three possessions as quarterback Matt Moore finished 4 of 9 for 26 yards while an experienced offensive line looked out of synch and allowed regular pressure from the second-team defense.

The second-team offense wasn't any better. Led by quarterbacks Hunter Cantwell and Jimmy Clausen, it managed just one first down during its 12-play sequence.

The only points of the scrimmage came when the third-team offense managed to get in field goal range for veteran kicker John Kasay.

''The defense was ahead of the offense,'' coach John Fox said. ''But I think that's typical every year. But I'm pleased with the effort and pleased we got through healthy.''

Although Carolina's offense was without wide receiver Steve Smith, right tackle Jeff Otah and three of their top four running backs, the outcome was still a little surprising.

Carolina's passing game had looked sharp throughout camp, moving the ball with regularity against a restructured defense that's trying to replace six starters from last year's team.

''If you look at training camp, the offense has done a good job of establishing the run against us and pushing us around and being pretty dominant,'' said Pro Bowl linebacker Jon Beason. ''But now you come out here today and it's the first live situation where it's no holding back and for us to come out here and dominate - well, that's very encouraging for us.''

Things might have been different had Moore completed a long bomb to wide receiver Kenny Moore, but that potential big gainer ended with the ball slipping just out of the receiver's outstretched arms.

''I thought I had it for a second,'' Kenny Moore said.

Matt Moore, whose only first-down completions went to Wallace Wright and Dwayne Jarrett, said it's important not to read too much into one scrimmage.

The Panthers have a bigger test Thursday night when they open the preseason at Baltimore.

''There were some little things, but correctable stuff,'' Moore said. ''I can't even put my finger on what exactly it was. But we completed some balls and moved the chains a little. But we'll learn from some things out here. But I'm not disappointed at all.''

Offensive tackle Jordan Gross said the first-team offensive line, which is supposed to be one of the strengths of the team, didn't have a very good day.

''Well, you want to go out and score 12 touchdowns if you're going to run 12 plays -- and we were a long way from that,'' Gross said. ''But it's a little bit of a test where we're at. We definitely have more work to do. I was happy to see our defense do so well because I know it's a question a lot of people have.''

Gross said it makes no sense to read into Moore's statistics for a scrimmage.

''If he would have thrown 10 touchdowns I wouldn't be saying that he's the MVP of this league either,'' Gross said. ''So it's OK. It's no big deal.''

For Clausen, the team's highly-regarded second-round draft pick out of Notre Dame, it was his first time playing inside Bank of America Stadium.

Clausen said he had a few butterflies Saturday morning.

''A little bit, sure,'' Clause said. ''I was excited to come out of that tunnel for the first time, hopefully the first of many times. But it was a good day out here. It was excited to see all of the fans come out and support the Panthers.''

The Panthers have Sunday off and return to training camp in Spartanburg, S.C., on Monday