Carolina Panthers at Cincinnati Bengals Preview

Will Jonathan Stewart see the field for the Carolina Panthers? Probably not. Will Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver AJ Green see the field? Also probably not.

The Panthers are coming off a big gutsy win against the Chicago Bears that saw a turnover savvy defense and enough Cam Newton throwing prevail. Now the Panthers will have to do it again. The defense will have to hold the Bengals down while Newton finds enough plays to beat them. The Panthers running game will be questionable at best with Darrin Reaves once again positioned to play to a big role there.

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The Panthers are 0-2 against the AFC North including a loss to the Ravens. Baltimore lost to the Bengals already this season, so that would not be a positive sign. It does not have to mean anything though, as the Bengals are coming off a thrashing from the New England Patriots where their top receiver AJ Green got hurt.

Date: October 12

Time: 1:00 PM

TV: FOX (Panthers still unbeaten when on Fox)

Venue: Paul Brown Stadium (Cincinnati, OH)

Oct 5, 2014; Foxborough, MA, USA; Cincinnati Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis talks with linebacker Emmanuel Lamur (59) after a penalty call against the Cincinnati Bengals during the first quarter against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stew Milne-USA TODAY Sports

Opponent: Cincinnati Bengals (3-1)

The Bengals looked like one of the more balanced teams in the NFL this season. Their offensive line had played well and opened up holes for running Gio Bernard. Andy Dalton had stayed in the pocket and not forced things, keeping his interceptions at a minimum. The defense was at the top of the league during the first three weeks of the season.

Then came the Patriots game. The Bengals got destroyed 43-17 in that game, but more importantly they lost playmaker AJ Green to injury. Green sets the table for the rest of the offense. He is a deep threat and a premier target and secondaries have to account for him. That opens up the seams for Tyler Eifert and the crossing patterns for Mohammed Sanu. Without Green, the Bengals offense is much more compressed.

Oct 5, 2014; Foxborough, MA, USA; Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton (14) passes the ball during the second quarter against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stew Milne-USA TODAY Sports

Compressing the offense takes away the easy plays that Andy Dalton has been making. It is no secret that the TCU alum has a little gunslinger in him. A compressed offense could cause Dalton to try to make things happen, which will eventually lead to interceptions. Even better would be if the Panthers’ defensive line could add more pressure to situation and force some of those things.

Bernard will need to be watched on screens and plays in the flat, because he has 14 receptions. That’s good for third on the team.

Sep 14, 2014; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Leon Hall (29) cornerback Darqueze Dennard (21) and linebacker Emmanuel Lamur (59) tackle Atlanta Falcons running back Devonta Freeman (24) at Paul Brown Stadium. Cincinnati defeated Atlanta 24-10. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports

On defense, the Bengals will try and probably succeed in shutting down the Panthers’ running game. Then the game will come down to Newton’s feel versus the defense. I do not think we will see a lot of running Cam Newton, but I do think that we will see a fair amount of ad-lib Cam Newton.

Coming out of the Bears game, the Panthers defense should have renewed confidence. They need only keep the Bengals in front of them. Cam showed he can find Kelvin Benjamin and Greg Olsen when it counts.

Prediction:

Somewhere in my soul is the idea that the Bengals cannot be as good as they were early. I also know that they are not as bad as they were last week. With this being a road game, I should be picking the other way. But I can’t. Somehow, someway, I think the Panthers will pull it out.