Brian Burns has been one of the Panthers’ most consistent players during his time in Carolina and while he’s secret about his personal goals heading into the season, there’s one we all know he’s been aiming for – double digit sacks.
Two years in a row Burns just missed the mark – finishing with 9 sacks. But during the Panthers’ week twelve matchup against the Broncos he broke through the ceiling…before halftime.
With 14:41 remaining in the 2nd quarter on 2nd and 9 from the Denver 44, Burns sacked Broncos’ quarterback Russell Wilson for a 11 yard loss. On the next possession Burns strip-sacked Wilson on 2nd and 10 from the Carolina 23. The ball was recovered by Yetur Gross-Matos, resulting Denver’s first turnover of the game.
It’s clear the Panthers view Brian as a critical piece on this team, as the team reportedly turned down two first round draft picks for him…and this is why. He’s only scratching the surface of his potential.
