Steve Smith zinged the pocket awareness of Panthers QB Jack Plummer in his NFL debut

Carolina Panthers legend Steve Smith has never spared anyone's feelings, and undrafted rookie quarterback Jack Plummer playing in his first NFL game ever was no exception to the rule.

CLEVELAND, OHIO - SEPTEMBER 22: Mike Garafolo and Steve Smith of NFL network talk prior to a game between the Cleveland Browns and the Pittsburgh Steelers at FirstEnergy Stadium on September 22, 2022 in Cleveland, Ohio. / (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images)

What made Panthers legend Steve Smith Sr. an all-time great wide receiver was his tenacity and toughness, especially for his size. What makes him a great commentator is his relentless devotion to telling the truth, no matter how harsh it may sound or whose feelings he might hurt.

During last night's broadcast of Carolina's humiliating preseason loss to the Patriots, Smith was in peak form. Unable to hide his disgust with his former team, Smith's brutal commentary was a welcome diversion from the ugliness on the field. On the subject of undrafted rookie quarterback Jack Plummer - who was making his very first start in the NFL - Smith offered a helpful critique of his pocket awareness.

During broadcast, Steve Smith says Jack Plummer needs more pocket awareness. "He's back there like he's waiting on an Uber."

— Joe Person (@josephperson) August 9, 2024

He's not nice but he's not wrong. Plummer wound up taking eight quarterback hits and five sacks, losing 35 yards in the process. He also fumbled twice.

Pass protection is a two-way street between the offensive line and the quarterback, who is often his own best protector. It's not an accident that the greatest quarterback on the planet is also the best at sensing pressure coming from any angle like Spiderman and avoiding it beyond all comprehension.

The hard truth is that sacks are a QB stat, even when you're playing behind a poor offensive line like Plummer was last night. If he's going to make it at this level, he'll need to dramatically improve this part of his game.

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