The Carolina Panthers’ final preseason game against the Buffalo Bills on Friday will feature coaches with differing ideas as to whether to play or rest their starters.
For the Panthers, the starters mostly didn’t play at all in the Week 2 exhibition against New England and so many of them will play at least through the first quarter in the 7 p.m. game. For the Bills, the starters will rest, which means Buffalo won’t play star quarterback Josh Allen.
Carolina will begin with newly named No. 1 quarterback Baker Mayfield playing with the starting offensive line and receivers for about a quarter (almost surely minus Christian McCaffrey, who never plays in the preseason anymore). Then Sam Darnold will take over in the second quarter, followed by PJ Walker for most of the second half.
