Inside The Panthers

Kenny Pickett, Jason Pinnock Shine in Preseason Openers

Pitt Panthers were some of the stars of the night in NFL preseason action.

Stephen Thompson

Kenny Pickett, Jason Pinnock Shine in Preseason Openers
Kenny Pickett, Jason Pinnock Shine in Preseason Openers /
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PITTSBURGH -- Pitt Panthers reached far and wide across the NFL in Week 1 of preseason action. On the second night of the first week of the preseason, former Panthers were some of the league's best performers. 

Former Pitt quarterback Kenny Pickett was one of the stars of the night, despite playing just one drive. He completed six of seven passes for 70 yards and a touchdown while throwing to a wide array of targets. Four different Steelers caught passes on the possession, including George Pickens, who was on the receiving end of a sharp 33-yard touchdown pass. 

Year two is off to a hot start for Pittsburgh's QB1. 

On the other side of a 27-17 win for the Steelers in the preseason opener was SirVocea Dennis, a fifth-round pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers who logged his first career start against Pittsburgh with his team down 19 players. 

Dennis played well, recording on tackle and pressuring Mason Rudolph into a sack in the first half. He and Calijah Kancey, a first-round pick for the Buccaneers this past year, got to meet up with their former teammate Pickett after the game. Kancey did not play as he recovers from a calf injury. 

Elsewhere in the NFL, former Pitt defensive back Jason Pinnock, who had already turned heads with a ridiculous, one-handed interception in training camp with the Giants, picked off a pass, deflected another and made a tackle for loss in New York's 21-16 loss to the Detroit Lions. 

His teammate, defensive end Habakkuk Baldonado, made three tackles and added a sack in his own NFL debut after signing as an undrafted free agent following the end of his career at Pitt. 

Former Panther Jaylen Twyman was one of the few highlights for the Dolphins, who fell 19-3 to the Atlanta Falcons. He made three tackles and added a sack in his first game in Miami. 

Out in the desert, former Panthers corner Damarri Mathis made a tackle for the Broncos, who lost 18-17 in their own preseason opener against the Arizona Cardinals. 

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Stephen Thompson
STEPHEN THOMPSON

Stephen Thompson graduated with a bachelor's degree in communications and political science from Pitt in April 2022 after spending four years as a sports writer and editor at The Pitt News, the University of Pittsburgh's independent, student-run newspaper.  He primarily worked the Pitt men's basketball beat, and filled in on coverage of football, volleyball, softball, gymnastics and lacrosse, in addition to other sports as needed. His work at The Pitt News has won awards from the Pennsylvania News Media Association and Associated College Press.  During the spring and summer of 2021, Stephen interned for Pittsburgh Sports Now, covering baseball in western Pennsylvania. Hailing from Washington D.C., family ties have cultivated a love of Boston's professional teams and Pitt athletics, and a fascination with sports in general.  You can reach Stephen by email at stephenethompson00@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter. Read his latest work:

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