Preview Of Week Two Game For The Carolina Panthers
Sep 13, 2015; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Carolina Panthers outside linebacker
A.J. Klein(56) warms up before the game between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Carolina Panthers at EverBank Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
I have to get something off my chest to my readers. A lot of the media doubt the Carolina Panthers including a lot of the local media here in Carolina. I am tired of the local media members who are not fans of the local teams and bash the teams without any facts to back it up. I have seen comments such as the Panthers could be the worse 2-0 team in the league or the Panthers are no where near contender status.
Being honest, the Panthers will not be the worst 2-0 team (if they win) and they are not a borderline playoff team. They are contenders and have a defense good enough to carry them to a Super Bowl even WITHOUT their best player in Luke Kuechly. Now on to the preview of the game Sunday against the Houston Texans.
The Texans are a team that can beat any team anywhere when they play good defense. They boast a good defensive line that includes J.J. Watt and second year player Jadeveon Clowney who has the potential to be very good. When you throw Vince Wilfork and Brian Cushing into the mix on their front seven it is a formidable defense. J.J. Watt is a freak of nature and will get at least 2 sacks in this game. It could be more because I think someone on the offensive line is going to crack and the whole thing is going to come down.
More from Cam Newton
- Top 10 Moments of the Decade in North Carolina Sports
- What should be on Carolina Panthers’ Christmas list?
- Cam Newton to IR: The Death of the Superman Era in Carolina
- Should the Carolina Panthers Trade Cam Newton?
- Carolina Panthers vs Jaguars: Q&A with Black & Teal
The Texans were coming into this game with quarterback questions but now it appears that they will choose Ryan Mallett as their quarterback. Mallett is an accurate passer a lot of times but he tends to crack under pressure. If the Texans can stop the Panthers from getting to Mallett then he could have a solid game. Problem for the Texans is Duane Brown might not be playing in this game. Brown is a Pro Bowl left tackle so that would be a huge blow. Let us get to the Panthers side of things.
Live Feed
Saturday Blitz
It looks as though Luke Kuechly and Star Lotulelei will not play Sunday. There is a chance Lotulelei could give it a go but I still think the Panthers play it cautious here and sit him one more game. Kuechly does not look like he is advancing through concussion protocol in a fast enough time to play Sunday. Even without these two the Panthers still have a good defense. I would look for the Panthers to try to get after the quarterback and force Mallett to make plays.
More from Old North Banter
- Carolina Panthers: Secondary battles to watch in training camp 2020
- Carolina Panthers: 2020 training camp kicks off on Tuesday
- NC Colleges Provide Coronavirus Results from Athletic Departments
- Court alleges Zion’s Stepfather received $400k
- UNC Football gets Commitment from Top Cornerback
The Panthers offense has to step it up in this game. They have to run the ball a little bit better and the wide receivers need to catch the passes thrown at them. Kevin Norwood will be active this game and will probably take snaps away from Philly (Corey or whatever he wants to be called) Brown. Brown has been too inconsistent with his catches lately. I would expect Devin Funchess to take away a few snaps from Ted Ginn Jr as well. Funchess has the potential to be the number one wide receiver. If the offense moves the ball and scores touchdowns consistently there is no way the Texans beat the Panthers.
I believe that this game will be a coming out party for the offense after it struggled a little in Jacksonville. My prediction is Panthers-31 and Texans-10 and the Texans will turn the ball over 3 times. Two of these turn overs will result in touchdowns for the Panthers. My prediction of the final record for your 2015 Carolina Panthers stays at 12-4. GO PANTHERS!