SPARTANBURG, S.C. — Carolina Panthers coach Matt Rhule emerged from joint practices against the Baltimore Ravens unhappy with his team’s wide receivers, who dropped at least a half-dozen passes.
"I thought Sam was sharp," Rhule said. "I thought the quarterbacks were sharp and put the ball where it needed to be. Some guys need to make catches."
While Rhule continued to praise quarterback Sam Darnold and thought his team’s offensive line did a nice job of run blocking and picking up blitzes against what he called Baltimore’s “vaunted” defensive front seven, he said the receivers need to do their part.
He specifically targeted the team's young skill players, who played well in Sunday's preseason loss to Indianapolis.
"I told some of our young guys, you don't get to like the Instagram posts and then come out here and not practice well," Rhule said. "What you did last week doesn't matter. It's what you do today."
Darnold, who has had an up-and-down first camp with Carolina, chalked it up to timing.
"We've got to stay on top of our assignments," Darnold said. "Whether that's studying more late at night. However the guys want to get ready, we just have to be ready for tomorrow."
Darnold hopes to have receiver Robby Anderson back out at practice on Thursday, another joint session against Baltimore.
Anderson missed Wednesday's practice after apparently tweaking his hamstring in last week's joint practices against the Colts.