Carolina Panthers vs. Cincinnati Bengals: Complete Week 6 Preview for Carolina
The Carolina Panthers (3-2) are on the road this week to take on the Cincinnati Bengals (3-1). The Panthers have not had success against teams from the AFC North this season, sporting a record of 0-2 and being outscored 75-29. The goal for Carolina will be to not only come out of the game with the victory, but to play its brand of football, one defined by a stout defense. With any luck, Carolina won't find itself blown out by a third different AFC team this year.
Cincinnati lost its first game of the season last week and much like the Panthers last week, it will be looking to get back on track after a humiliating performance. Much like Carolina from a week ago, the Bengals will have the opportunity to rebound in front of their home crowd.
The two teams have played each other four times since 1999 with each winning two games. Carolina will carry a two-game losing streak against the Bengals, but each team has redefined itself since their last meeting in 2010. For Cincinnati, there has been a reversal of fortune as the Bengals have enjoyed a winning season ever year since 2011. Carolina has built one of the strongest defenses in the league and despite some setbacks this year, the Panthers have a defensive unit still capable of generating an effective pass rush, forcing turnovers and being absolutely disruptive.
The teams have another common bond; each drafted a quarterback in 2011 and those men have been integral parts of their respective franchise's success. However, Andy Dalton has the better record than his Carolina counterpart, Cam Newton, and has guided his club to three consecutive playoff appearances.
This week figures to be an exciting one and the game between the Panthers and Bengals could serve as a means to determine if both are legitimate contenders or early season pretenders.
Carolina Panthers' Week 5 Recap
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Last week, the Carolina Panthers pulled off an incredible 31-24 win over the Chicago Bears after digging themselves into an early 21-7 hole created by three early turnovers. The Bears took advantage of the turnovers and the excellent field position and looked primed to run away with the game.
However, the Panthers were having none of it and put together an impressive drive towards the end of the second quarter to keep the game close.
The second half saw the Carolina defense awaken and limit the Bears to just three points the rest of the way. Chris Ogbannaya found the end zone with a one-yard run on 1st-and-goal, and Cam Newton found Greg Olsen in the fourth quarter for the tight end's second and decisive touchdown.
Carolina's win was huge: It not only snapped a two-game losing streak, but it kept the Panthers atop the NFC South. An Atlanta loss allowed the Panthers to own the top spot by themselves.
The Panthers defense took some lumps early on against Chicago in Week 5, but much of that was due to Carolina turnovers that gave the Bears great starting field position in Carolina territory. It was good to see the unit rebound in the second half and give the offense a chance to come away with a win.
There was a slight improvement in the running game, but there is a lot of work to do before the Panthers can be an offensively balanced team.
News and Notes
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James Dockery was re-signed by the Panthers this week after the team lost cornerback Josh Norman to a concussion and Bene Benwikere hurt his ankle. Dockery had played with Carolina the last two seasons, but was cut by the team in August. The silver lining here is that he knows the system and will adequately add depth to the defense. Hopefully, he stays healthy as he was sidelined for five games last year after injuring his left shoulder. Richie Brockel hurt his ankle and was placed on injured reserve. This leaves Carolina without any fullbacks with Mike Tolbert still nursing his own injury. The Panthers will have to make due, but until Tolbert returns, expect the offense to run out a lot of single-back formations and the shotgun.
Carolina's game against Cincinnati this weekend will mark the beginning of a brutal five-game stretch that will feature games against Green Bay, Seattle, New Orleans and Philadelphia. Considering some of the injury and off-field issues involving some key Carolina players, the current roster will be tested and by the end of Week 10, fans should know whether or not the Panthers are capable of repeating as division champions. Only two of those games (Seattle and New Orleans) will be played at home.
The good news for Carolina fans is that running back DeAngelo Williams is closer to returning to the field. While Williams will finally have his foot out of the cast, teammate Jonathan Stewart could be back sooner, perhaps this week, according to David Newton at ESPN.com. Regardless, this news is reassuring as the Panthers have been hurting at the position this season; signing Chris Ogbannaya was done to compensate for the loss of personnel.
Pink is the NFL's Favorite Color
As many fans noticed last week, the NFL and the Carolina Panthers are wearing pink on certain parts of the uniform in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. This will continue throughout the month of October. The campaign has been dubbed, A Crucial Catch and will have its Crucial Catch day on October 25. The enclosed link offers more information about the campaign.
Injury Report
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| Player/Position | Injury | Status |
| Byron Bell, LT | Toe | Probable |
| Bene Benwikere, CB | Ankle | Out |
| Thomas Davis, OLB | Elbow | Probable |
| Dwan Edwards, DT | NFI | Probable |
| Roman Harper, SS | NFI | Probable |
| Charles Johnson, DE | Hip | Questionable |
| Josh Norman, CB | Concussion | Out |
| Greg Olsen, TE | Ankle | Questionable |
| Darrin Reaves, RB | Hip | Probable |
| Jonathan Stewart, RB | Knee | Questionable |
| DeAngelo Williams, RB | Ankle | Out |
Source: Panthers.com
There are some new names to the list, but so far there is no reason to think that the anyone outside of the ones who have previously missed action will be absent on Sunday. There is a chance that Jonathan Stewart will be available, but if not, Chris Ogbannaya and Darrin Reaves should be ready to go. Reaves took part in all of Thursday's practice.
Defensively, the only players likely to be out will be Bene Benwikere and Josh Norman. The newly signed James Dockery should be able to replace them as a backup cornerback. As has been the case this season, Antoine Cason and Melvin White will start in the secondary.
Greg Olsen is perhaps the most curious case this week as he was not a participant in either Wednesday or Thursday's practices. Olsen has been a huge part of the offense this year and if he misses time, it could be a blow to the Carolina offense. However, his absence from the practice field could be more precautionary than anything. His status for Sunday should be known later Friday afternoon.
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X-Factors and Matchups to Watch
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Carolina Secondary vs. Andy Dalton
The Cincinnati Bengals have a a great weapon in wide receiver A.J. Green. However, his status is up in the air after he was carted off the practice field earlier this week. The re-injured toe will keep him out of this week's game.
That will leave Andy Dalton having to compensate for the loss and make plays with other receivers. Last week, the secondary, namely the safeties, was opportunistic and was able to pick off two passes-one which possibly kept the Chicago Bears from scoring. The unit underwent some changes last week as Melvin White was benched in favor of Josh Norman. However, White should return to the starting lineup Sunday as Norman will be out because of a concussion.
Keeping the Cincinnati aerial attack grounded will go a long way in propelling the Panthers to victory.
Carolina Running Backs vs. Cincinnati Run Defense
There is no denying how bad the Panthers have been this season when it comes to running the ball. Some of that is attributed to the injury bug and some of it is because of an ineffective offensive line.
However, Carolina has a chance to run the ball at will against Cincinnati because the Bengals have one of the worst defenses in the league when it comes to stopping the run. Entering Week 6, Cincinnati is allowing opponents to gain an average of 140 yard on the ground, making it 27th in the league in defense against the run.
The Panthers may not have a 100-yard rusher after the game is over, but if they can grind it out effectively and efficiently, it shouldn't be too much of a concern.
Carolina Offensive Line vs. Cincinnati Front Seven
The battle in the trenches is key to any team's success. Carolina has had a difficult time up front this season after starting the year on a promising note.
However, the inability to open up the running game or adequately protect Cam Newton has played a role in the team's offensive woes (12th in passing, 30th in rushing). It hasn't helped that rookie Trai Turner has not been healthy to start or that the other Carolina linemen are allowing opposing defenses to penetrate and pressure their quarterback.
Despite allowing two sacks to Newton, the line played fairly well last week. The running game was able to churn out 90 yards and a touchdown. The Bengals defense has the players and talent to get in the backfield and create havoc. Picking up the blocks and holding them will go a long way in allowing the Panthers to open up their playbook.
Carolina's X-Factor of the Week: Carolina Defensive Line
Last week, the Panthers used versatility to make up for the loss of Frank Alexander (suspended for 10 more games) and the absence of Greg Hardy (commissioner's exempt list). Carolina moved interior linemen Star Lotulelei and Kawann Short around to not only give the defense a new look, but to help improve its pass rush.
The move paid off as the unit recorded four sacks. Charles Johnson enjoyed his best showing of the season with two tackles. One was a sack and the other was a tackle for loss. By continuing to implement this particular blue print at Cincinnati, the Panthers have a good shot at picking up their second straight win.
Prediction
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Carolina needs to right the ship against AFC opponents, especially those who are in the hunt for the playoffs.
So far, all three of their interconference games have been against teams with a legitimate shot at postseason football. One thing working in favor of the Panthers as they prepare for Cincinnati will be the absence of Bengal wide receiver A.J. Green. He will miss this week's game, and that could make life easier on the Carolina secondary.
The offense needs to take advantage of Cincinnati's misfortune, despite dealing with its own set of injured players. Carolina has been without a healthy offense for much of the season and has managed to win three of five games. The Bengals will have to work around Green's absence and find a way to move the ball effectively through the air without their star receiver.
Cincinnati is a seven-point favorite as of Thursday. Even if the Bengals are the favorites going into Sunday and are without one of their playmakers, the Panthers could come away with the upset. A road win against a first-place team would be huge for the confidence of the Carolina organization. The Panthers' defense will return to form like it did the second half of last week's game and be the driving force behind a Carolina victory in Week 6.
Prediction
Carolina 21, Cincinnati 17
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