Around the League editor Brian McIntyre has his takeaways from the game:
From Around the League:
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Lessons from Saturday's preseason games
» Texans quarterback Matt Schaub's foot does not appear to be an issue after a Lisfranc injury ended his 2011 season. Schaub played well on the Texans' opening drive, completing 3 of 5 passes for 52 yards and showing good mobility.
» Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly is the real deal. The No. 9 overall pick of the 2012 NFL Draft played a few series at weakside linebacker and had four tackles. Two plays stood out: Kuechly stuffed Texans running back Ben Tate for no gain on a play from the Panthers' 2-yard line on his first defensive series, and he forced a fumble on two-time Pro Bowl selection Arian Foster on his subsequent outing.
» Speaking of first-rounders, Texans linebacker Whitney Mercilus showed off his pass-rushing skills, coming off the edge to post 1.5 sacks against the Panthers' reserves.
» The Panthers still need to work on their special teams. According to Football Outsiders' advanced metrics, last year's unit ranked dead last in the league. Improving the unit was a priority this offseason, with the team adding Haruki Nakamura, Kenny Onatolu and Mike Tolbert for their special teams skills. Allowing a 90-yard kick return for a touchdown is a sign this unit needs a lot of work before the season opener.
» Jimmy Clausen might need a change of scenery, or quite possibly a hug. Stuck in the No. 3 role behind Newton and Derek Anderson, Clausen completed 3 of 6 pass attempts, but was sacked five times and lost a fumble, as he frequently was running for his life.
