Panthers vs. Cardinals: TV Schedule, Live Streaming, Radio, Game Time and More

Without a doubt the biggest story going into the Carolina Panthers and Arizona Cardinals battle in week 1 will be the battle of the quarterbacks.

The Panthers will start Cam Newton, who was the first pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, right out of the gate. No one is expecting him to be great right away, but given the way he performed in preseason, the team needs him to show marked improvement quickly.

The Cardinals made the biggest quarterback acquisition of the offseason by dealing for Kevin Kolb to be their new signal caller. This is an important year for Kolb because there are no other established quarterbacks on the roster, so this team is going to go as far as he takes them.

Where: University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona

When: Sunday, September 11 at 4:15 p.m. EST

Watch: FOX; watch live online with DirecTV's Sunday Ticket To-Go package; games on-demand with NFL.com's Game Rewind.

Listen: 1110 AM WBT (Charlotte); KTAR 620 AM (Arizona); Sirius Channel 136 (Panthers' Broadcast Team), Channel 94 (Cardinals' Broadcast Team)

Betting Line: Cardinals (-7)

What's At Stake

To be honest, this game is not very sexy. The Panthers are in a full blown rebuild with Cam Newton leading the offense.

The Cardinals should be better this season than they were last season now that they have an actual quarterback, though how good Kolb is remains to be seen.

This game should be a blowout in favor of the Cardinals, and their quest to reclaim the NFC West will be off to a good start.

Panthers' Injury Report

The only injury for the Panthers heading into this game is a knee injury for rookie cornerback Brandon Hogan. He was placed on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list last Saturday and will miss at least the first six games of the regular season.

Cardinals' Injury Report

The biggest injury concern for the Cardinals rests in the right bicep tendon of safety Adrian Wilson. He tore the tendon in training camp, but is doing all he can to avoid surgery in order to play this season. He will be ready to go at kickoff.

Fantasy Start 'Em

There is no point in beating around the bush. Larry Fitzgerald is the best wide receiver in the NFL. The only way you can contain him is with a weapon and league rules frown upon that. There is no reason to expect anything less than six catches, 110 yards and one touchdown. And bear in mind that is a minimum for him in this game.

Fantasy Sit 'Em

I don't know why you would even have him on your team, but if you have Cam Newton don't even think about playing him until he proves that he can be a productive NFL player. I know he is capable of breaking a big run, but he is not Michael Vick in any way, shape or form. Keep him on your bench.

Fantasy Sleeper

Defenses do not get a lot of love in fantasy football, but when you have a match up with a defense going against a young, first-time starting quarterback, you have to give them a shot.

Arizona's defense is not one that I would call good, but going up against Cam Newton they should be able to keep the score low, force a lot of turnovers and record a few sacks along the way. They could score you double-digit points if things go as expected.

What They Are Saying

Panthers quarterback Derek Anderson, who played for the Cardinals last season, has taken to his new role as a mentor and backup for Cam Newton and Jimmy Clausen.

"He came in, we sat down and talked about what his role looked like it was going to be here. He grasped it with both hands and he's been tremendous," Rivera said. "I think he also understands it's a long season. He may get the opportunity. So he's going to have to be ready. And his approach to everything has been terrific."

Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic wrote about Kevin Kolb's smooth transition from Philadelphia to Arizona. 

Kolb was drafted by the Eagles in the second round in 2007, and became the heir apparent to Donovan McNabb. When his time finally came last season, however, Kolb suffered a concussion in the first game and eventually lost the job to Michael Vick.

Vick's rejuvenation and Kolb with only one year left on his contract made him expendable.

The Cardinals paid a high price for Kolb. He's not oblivious to that, but it doesn't consume him, either. Playing quarterback comes with pressure; Kolb accepted that long ago.

Panthers’ Player To Watch

Cam Newton is going to be the story regardless of what happens with anyone else on the offense, but I am more intrigued to see how DeAngelo Williams plays this season.

The Panthers surprised a lot of people by giving Williams a big contract extension after two injury-plagued seasons, so they clearly still see him as a No. 1 running back. He will have a chance to prove that against a bad defensive team.

Cardinals’ Player To Watch

All eyes are going to be on Kevin Kolb. He is the man the Cardinals acquired to do what Derek Anderson and three others could not do last year: Fill the enormous shoes left by Kurt Warner. He has the luxury of going up against a soft defense, so he should be able to shine in his first game with the team.

Key Matchup

The Panthers need to establish the run against a weak Arizona defensive line to take pressure off Cam Newton in this game. They have the horses to do it with Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams, but if teams don’t respect their passing game enough they will load the box with defenders until Newton proves he can beat them.

Prediction

Arizona should have no problems with this Carolina team that does have some talented parts but is still at least two years away from contending.

30-7, Cardinals