The basic nature of the NFL preseason is to give fans a small spoonful of what they may expect when the season begins. As it turns out, most teams are not just chocolate or vanilla.

Most teams are a banana split sundae, or some other type of concoction, which means one spoonful may be different from the next, and the whole may be better or worse than what was tasted during the small sample.

The Panthers are certainly that way, and we had a taste Sunday night of a sundae that looked pretty good.

Ron Rivera and his coaching staff are the foundation -- Neapolitan ice cream -- as they have been able, in limited time, to produce a team with a strong first preseason game showing.

In the first half, DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart showed glimpses of the record-setting duo they were a couple years ago. And their backup, Mike Goodson, showed speed and versatility when he played in the second half. Those three are the bananas, the first layer on top of the foundation.

We also had the privilege of watching quarterbacks Jimmy Clausen and Cam Newton compete civilly for the starting job.

No doubt Newton has the fans affection. And no doubt he deserves it after dominating college football last season and making fans ooh and aah last night with strong throws and great accuracy.

Clausen was equally impressive, making up for an early pick-six by settling down the offense and throwing a touchdown. He will be the starter, which is a good decision, but if last night was any indication, both guys are growing well. That’s the fudge.

The nuts are wide out Steve Smith, who wasn’t in the line-up. Smith, in year 11, is still a big-time playmaker. He will, as he should, command tremendous effort from his quarterback, whoever it is.

If Clausen and/or Newton respond well, then it will be the makings of a good sundae. Remember, nuts can be salty, but salt makes sweet things sweeter.

The defense would be the whipped cream. However, with a few strong pieces on the sidelines, including Pro-Bowler Jon Beason, last night offered a taste more comparable to Cool Whip than gourmet cream. It did the job, but fans would hope to expect something more flavorful during the season.

The cherry on top was the effort. The Panthers came out strong, rushing Eli Manning, making big special-teams plays and running a solid offense with few costly mistakes.

Talent makes Sports Center, but effort makes fans, and last night the Panthers may have earned back the interest of a lot of spurned fans, particularly this one.

Still, this team is a concoction, of which we had a small spoonful. Everyone with a sweet tooth knows that when you dig in, too many nuts or not enough fudge may throw the taste off completely. The combinations must be just right.

I may be just a fat kid who likes sweets, but my eyes will be on this team, hoping that this banana split sundae doesn’t disappoint.
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Michael Gentry is a regular contributor to Qcitymetro.com. He writes most frequently about sports and religion. Email mgentry@qcitymetro.com.

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