Former Rebels QB Matt Corral Struggles In Preseason Opener Against New York Jets

Matt Corral had his fair share of highs and lows Saturday against the New York Jets' front seven.

Former Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corral knew his first game back in action with the Carolina Panthers would come with its fair share of bumps and bruises. 

He plans on using his performance in a 27-0 loss to the New York Jets as a building block on where he can improve before the start of the regular season. 

"I haven't played football, really since last August, and that's a long time," Corral told reporters Saturday postgame. "Note that's not an excuse for me making mistakes. I've got to do my job. But it's definitely – blessed to be out there and get on the field."

Drafted in the third round last April, Corral was expected to compete with Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold for the starting job last fall under then-coach Matt Rhule, but a Lisfranc injury suffered in the preseason led to him missing his entire rookie season. 

It also factored into insufficient play from the Panthers, who fired Rhule after a 1-4 start. This past offseason, Carolina traded up eight spots for the No. 1 pick to select Alabama's Bryce Young, who has already been named the Week 1 starter against the Atlanta Falcons. 

Starters often played seldom in the preseason, thus opening the door for players looking to boost their position on the depth chart to impress. Young started the first three drives, a plan designed by first-year coach Frank Reich. 

Corral took the remainder of the snaps. He had his moments, although Carolina failed to find the end zone. One highlight included a 12-yard pass to Derek Wright. Another came in the fourth quarter on a 20-yard zip to Shi Smith. 

But Corral struggled early, failing to pick up a first down on his first three series. On the second half's opening drive, the former Rebel was stripped-sacked by Jets defensive lineman Bruce Hector, who also recovered the fumble. 

Corral also fumbled a snap in the first half on a miscommunicated with center Cade Mays, but recovered the ball just before the Jets could pounce. 

"As far as the strip sack, I've just got to hold the ball tighter," Corral said. "Those two are completely on me, for sure."

Carolina's offensive line remains a work in progress after allowing five sacks, four of which came against Corral. The second-year passer, however, took partial ownership of the takedowns, mentioning it's his job to see the field on time before the pressure consumes the backfield. 

"It's my job to get the ball out," said Corral. "And at the end of the day, it doesn't matter what they do. I can help them a lot more by just cleaning up my eyes and making quicker decisions."

Corral isn't fighting for first-team reps, but he is in a heated battle with 12-year veteran Andy Dalton for the title of QB2. Dalton didn't play Saturday, thus leading to Corral's 15-of-22 stat line for 126 passing yards and an interception. 

WATCH: New York #Jets Bruce Hector with the strip sack on Matt Corral
🎥 via @NFL pic.twitter.com/ODms3VoQ8H

— Lukas (@LukasAGS) August 12, 2023

Despite missing an entire season, Corral took blame for the offensive mishaps. Every rep counts for his future status as a member of the organization, and while not everything falls on his shoulders, he plans on learning from the mistakes in the film room before his next test on the road against the New York Giants Friday night. 

"If you made a mistake, own it, fix it," said Corral. "And I think the guys are going to be taking that initiative. But it starts with quarterbacks. It starts with me for sure."

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