Panthers-Ravens Live Blog

Hey gang...just setting up the blog for kickoff. Lots to do before the ganme begins, but hope you'll watch along with me! Leave your comments, and I'll reply to you!

7:58 Kickoff fast approaching. Tying up loose ends for Sports Night, and will be ready to go once we get going!

8:09-Nice start for the offense. Doing what they do. DeAngelo finds a hole, breaks off a nice run.

8:11 Ravens load up left side, get one extra guy thru to sack Moore. Mack Bernadeau nicely covers fumble. Punt City, Maryland.

**Should point out, I will have to suspend the blog during Sports Night, but may chime in with thoughts in commercials.**

8:15 With Panthers missing some key faces, CB Chris Gamble among them, Flacco could enjoy some 1st quarter success. Panthers secondary is somewhat experienced. Nice work by linebackers on that blitz.

8:19 Defense with nice work by Tyler Brayton, gets the sack. Forces Baltimore into FG, which Shayne Graham knocks thru. 3-0 B-More.

8:25 Offense having some passing game issues. Not unexpected, given no Steve Smith, and a lot of guys vying for jobs behind him. May be pressing a bit. 7:42 to play in 1st qtr.

8:29 DE Tyler Brayton holding leg after his 2nd sack. Looked like an ankle tweak. Hope it's not serious. They need all the vets they have.

8:36 Must admit, it's neat seeing other teams flagged for offsides. Nice plays by both WR Brandon LaFell and FB Tony Fiametta catching passes. This drive looks like Panthers football. Grind it, eat the clock. Then Moore's best throw comes back on another penalty to LT Jordan Gross. Pass-pro is not having a good qtr.

8:38 3rd flag on Jordan Gross. This one negates another downfield completion, Dwayne Jarrett making a nice reach-behind catch. Crazy game, eh?

8:40 P Jason Baker with the "rugby" punt. Kills it on the Baltimore 4 yard line. One area the Panthers are ok in, the kicking game.

8:44 Panthers defense getting knocked around. 1st down pass to Boldin, then McCLain goes for a rushing first down. End quarter, B-More 3-0.

8:50 Flacco to Clayton. 30 yards. Captain Munnerlyn in coverage, never established position. About to be 10-0 Baltimore.

8:53 Starters likely done, and the #2 QB for Carolina is....revealed after the break.

8:54 per our buddy Darin Gantt, Jimmy Clausen comes out with 2nd offense.

8:57 Nice couple plays for RB Tyrell Sutton. You can follow him on Twitter @TSutt22 He;s been chomping to get on the field and play since he hurt his calf on day one of camp.

8:59 Per Panthers tweet @cpanthers Moore was 4-7, 32 yards. Great concentration play by WR Kenny Moore. Big pickup. Have to give the 2nd teamers a nod. They are playing hard, and unlikle the 1st team O-line, they are executing.

9:04 Kasay boots the FG, 10-3 Baltimore. If 1st team offense doesn't find a rhythm, we may hear that alot this season.

9:10 Defense with the fumble recovery, Sutton flying tonight. Red Zone for Clausen.

9:12 Like the notion of the jump-ball to LaFell. That was Jarrett's promise on draft day.

9:13 Tough break for Sutton. Clearly fumbles at the 1, Baltimore recovers. He's still having a nice night, but will want that one back.

9:17 CB/S C.J. Wilson with a nice pass break-up, but Bulger comes back with a first down completion on next play. Ravens in hurry-up.

9:21 Does Bulger think he's auditioning for the starter's job? He's slinging that thing around like it's the Greatest Show on Turf, B-More style....but he's not connecting. Until he hits Stallworth.

9:24 Ravens K Shayne Graham misses 50 yarder with 71 seconds left. Panthers get chance to run 2-min offense with 2nd unit.

9:27 Clausen with a bullet to TE Dante Rosario on 3rd and 11. Wait...I just wrote a pass play on 3rd and long for a Panthers offense. WOW. 1st down, Carolina. :52 left.

9:28 Gotta tell ya, folks, Clausen showing lots of poise in hurry-up offense. And then he gets sacked. Time out, Panthers. That;s their 3rd charged time out.

9:30 Clausen drives offense to field goal range, Kasay from 48 yards.....is not gonna be kicked. Botched play. 10-3 Ravens at the break.

That is likely my last update for a while. Will try to do some after 10:30. Thanks for hanging.

9:36 OK, I fibbed. 1st half evaluations:

Matt Moore was not as bad as his numbers indicate. 3 double-digit yardage pass plays were negated by penalties. He was composed, and didn't turn the thing over. That's a point of emphasis, and Moore delivered. LT Jordan Gross will be better. He will. An ugly first quarter of football for him, as he made the game look like the late stages of a Sprint Cup race at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Defensively, I may have missed an update on DE Tyler Brayton, but hopefully his leg injury isn't serious. CB Captain Munnerlyn got schooled a little on the touchdown pass, as he thought he was pushed. He won't get that call against a veteran guy like Clayton, but to me, Munnerlyn looked like he had some footwork issues on that play. Certainly correctable. Not having Chris Gamble out there does expose a little drop off, but it's not a season-ender.

Hate to see Jason Baker bobble the snap at the end of the half on the FG attempt. Normally, that exchange is spot on. It will be worked on, and I'd be surprised to see it happen again. Don't know if a wet ball had anything to do with it, but it did rain in that first half.

10:40 Back in the blog chair. Lots happened since I last posted. Panthers scored a defensive TD, thanks to fumble returned for a TD by CJ Wilson. Ravens ranback a punt deep into Panther territory--some tackling issues. Led to TD run by the Baltimore QB. Then Fox challenged an incompleted pass. IT'S THE PRESEASON. STOP CHALLENGING, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT HAPPENED RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU! OK, sorry about that.

10:51 Basically garbage time now, but I feel bad for QB Tony Pike. His reps are down in practice, and he likely won't hit the field tonight.

10:57 Armanti Edwards still learning the WR position, but he is light years ahead of where he was during OTA's back in June. He's gifted athletically. Panthers will find a spot for him on the field.

10:58 I stand corrected, Pike on field with chance to get Panthers to a tie. Gruden gushing over Pike.

11:14 Hunter Cantwell trying to get Carolina the winning score, now that Pike got his series. 4th and 15....game over.

Hope you enjoyed the running blog tonight. I may get another shot when Carolina plays at Pittsburgh at the end of the month. Won't be live blogging during the home games. I'll knock out a recap in the morning.

Mike Solarte