Detroit Lions vs. Carolina Panthers: Complete Week 2 Preview for Carolina
The Carolina Panthers (1-0) return to Charlotte for its home opener against the Detroit Lions (1-0). The Panthers won its season opener for the first time since 2008 with a road victory at Tampa Bay. Now, the goal is to keep the momentum going as Ron Rivera's squad looks to start strong for the first time during his tenure as coach.
In order for that to happen, Carolina must get by one of the most potent passing attacks in the league.
This is the first meeting between the two teams since 2011 in which the Lions won a high-scoring shootout, 49-35. However, the last time Detroit visited the Queen City, the Panthers' DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart ran all over the Lions defense en route to a 31-22 victory.
Each team is different this time around.
Carolina has the makings of a legitimate contender despite its offseason roster shakeup. Detroit is trying to reassert itself as a threat in the NFC North—it made its last playoff appearance in 2011—even though the team has ended the past two seasons below .500.
Expectations are high for the Panthers who took a big first step last week in defending its division title. But, this is another week, and the focus for the team is to come away with its second win.
Carolina Panthers' Week 1 Recap
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Carolina came away with a big road win last week against Tampa Bay—any win on the road against a division rival is always big—even though the Panthers were playing a rebuilt offensive line, a new-look receiver corps and a backup QB in place of Cam Newton.
The win allowed the Panthers an early opportunity to control their destiny early in the season.
Derek Anderson played extremely well last week. He served both as a game manager and difference-maker, as he found found Greg Olsen and Kelvin Benjamin for scores.
Speaking of the rookie wide receiver, Benjamin had a solid debut with six receptions for 92 yards and as mentioned a TD grab, his first as a professional. Among first-year wideouts who played in Week 1, his debut was among the best. If anything, he will emerge as a playmaker for years to come.
The defense played its usual brand of hard-nosed ball for three quarters before letting the Buccaneers get back into it and making things interesting in the game's final minutes. However, Luke Kuechly made a huge defensive play, forcing a fumble of Tampa quarterback Josh McCown. Rookie cornerback Bene Benwikere recovered the fumble to secure the Carolina win.
The fact that Carolina was able to earn a victory without its star quarterback spoke volumes about the team's talent and resolve. Both will be huge factors as the season progresses.
News and Notes
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After sitting out last week's game, Cam Newton should be ready to make his regular season debut. This is good news, not only for Carolina fans, but for football fans in general. Sunday will see two of the league's brightest and young quarterbacks squaring off against each other. Detroit quarterback Matthew Stafford won the first game. The always competitive Newton will be looking to even the score. Carolina's young quarterback seems to be past his rib injury and the issues he had with his ankle following his offseason surgery. This game could see a lot of fireworks.
One of the biggest storylines of the Carolina offseason was the uncertainty at left tackle and the effectiveness of a revamped offensive front. Last week's game proved that Byron Bell and the unit, in general, could hold its own on game day. Bell played so well against Tampa Bay in Week 1 that he did not allow Derek Anderson to get hit or pressured.
Overall, the offensive line played well enough to allow only one sack. The mobile Newton will be hoping for the same kind of protection this week.
Catching his first NFL touchdown hasn't gone to the head of Carolina rookie receiver Kelvin Benjamin. His comments regarding his achievement spoke volumes about his mindset and what should be expected from him in the future. In an interview with the media following Week 1's game, Benjamin stated, "I don’t know, man. It’s another catch to me. It’s the past. It’s over. We got to get ready for the next upcoming game. I don’t really like to dwell on the past."
Focusing on the upcoming game and not being caught up in the moment will serve the rookie well in the league. The sky's the limit with Benjamin and thus far, his performance has more than justified his first-round selection.
ESPN First Take's Twitter account seems to believe that letting veteran wide receiver Steve Smith go this past offseason was a mistake. His production in his Baltimore Ravens debut seems to support that assertion.
Smith was a huge piece of the Carolina offense from 2001 to 2013 and while many fans were not supportive of his release (this writer included), the Panthers current receiver corps proved, at least in Week 1, that they are more than capable of picking up the slack.
It's a tough pill to swallow for Carolina fans to see a beloved player do good things for another team. But in the end, the front office was looking ahead, and the moves made this past winter and spring look good after one game.
Injury Report
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| Player/Position | Injury | Status |
| Greg Hardy, DE | Non-Injury | Probable |
| Cam Newton, QB | Ribs | Probable |
| Greg Olsen, TE | Non-Injury | Probable |
| Jason Williams, LB | Thigh | Questionable |
| DeAngelo Williams, RB | Thigh | Questionable |
| Garry Williams, OT | Hip | Questionable |
Source: Panthers.com
So far, so good for the Carolina Panthers. Cam Newton participated in practice and while he has been receiving treatment this week, he feels confident about starting against Detroit. Another member of the Carolina backfield was absent from practice as DeAngelo Williams has been dealing with soreness in his thigh. He missed Friday's practice and is questionable for Sunday.
Two other Panthers were held out of practice but due to personal reasons. Defensive end Greg Hardy was a no-show because he was meeting with his attorney. Tight end Greg Olsen left practice because of issues regarding his son, T.J. Per Carolina's website, Ron Rivera says both men will play Sunday.
Jason Williams participated in Friday's practice, but he is listed as questionable. Garry Williams was held out of Friday's practice and is the third player listed as questionable for Carolina's home opener.
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X-Factors and Matchups to Watch
4 of 5Carolina Defense vs. Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson
The Panthers defense will have its hands full Sunday going against one of the best passers in the league and arguably the best wide receiver in the game today.
The key to slowing down the tandem of quarterback Matthew Stafford and wideout Calvin Johnson starts with the Carolina front seven. Stafford can pick apart any defense when given time. The Panthers pass rush will have to get to him early and often and try to disrupt Stafford, who can be prone to making ill-advised throws with men in his face.
The secondary (namely the cornerbacks) will be tasked with slowing down Calvin Johnson. The defensive backs have been a bit of a wild card the past couple of seasons, but they did well against the duo of Vincent Jackson and Mike Evans in Tampa Bay last week. Johnson is a different animal, though, and if he does not get the respect and attention he deserves, he will burn Carolina for big plays.
Cam Newton vs. Ndamukon Suh and Nick Fairly
While the interview Cam Newton gave was amusing—he had some fun with "Donkey Kong" Suh and former Auburn teammmate Nick Fairly—the reality is both Lions tackles can be detrimental to Newton's health. Newton will have to rely on his offensive line to keep both men from reaching him. This is especially important as Newton needs to protect his ribs.
Of course, we can't forget about the presence of Detroit's ends, Ziggy Ansah and Jason Jones. The Detroit front four can make life difficult for any quarterback. If the Carolina offensive line plays like it did last week, protecting Cam should not be too much of an issue.
Carolina Running Backs vs. Detroit Front Seven
For the past three seasons, the running game in Carolina has been mostly carried by Cam Newton. Both DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart have struggled to regain their 1,000-yard form, and their jobs will be difficult against a defensive front as powerful as the Lions. Not only is the defensive line of Detroit good at generating a pass rush, but it has proven effective against the run. Last week, the Lions limited the New York Giants to 53 yards on the ground.
Granted, one game does not tell the entire story. Nonetheless, if Carolina's passing game makes a statement early, look for the Panthers running game to take advantage of a Detroit defense loosened a bit to protect against downfield throws.
Carolina's X-Factor: Defense
Last week, Matthew Stafford threw for 346 yards and two scores. Calvin Johnson was accountable for 164 of those yards and both touchdowns. If the Panthers are to be successful and come away with its second win of the season, the defense will need to keep the Lions out of the end zone and limit the number of passing yards.
Carolina won the time of possession battle against Tampa Bay last week and will need to do the same against Detroit Sunday. The more opportunities Matthew Stafford is given to control the game's tempo, the less likely will be Carolina's chances for success.
Prediction
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The last meeting between these teams resulted in fireworks and a high-scoring affair. Carolina's defense is much better than it was in 2011, but can be susceptible to a potent passing attack. Week 2 can be considered a "tune up" game for the Panthers in preparation for division rivals, New Orleans and Atlanta. If the defense can take away the momentum from Detroit and nullify (or at least slow down) the Lions passing game, the Panthers should cruise to a victory.
On the other hand, the Lions are a hungry team and have the talent to compete with anyone in the league. Both sides of the ball feature playmakers who can turn the tide of a game immediately. The Detroit defense could prove to be problematic for a slightly rusty Cam Newton and that could be the deciding the factor this week.
Couple that with the dominance of Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson in the passing game, this matchup could get out of reach for the Panthers. Luke Kuechly and the defense will have to bring a top-notch defensive performance if they are to shut down the Lions passing attack.
Prediction
Lions 27, Panthers 21
Information and stats provided by Panthers.com, ESPN.com and Pro-Football-Reference.com.
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