Lions Set To Face Panthers Team With Returning Cam Newton
By Chris Morgan
The Detroit Lions started their year off with a bang, besting the New York Giants at home by a score of 35-14 on Monday Night Football. Now, they head on the road, where they will face the Carolina Panthers who won the NFC North last season. Both teams won their openers, with the Panthers beating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers by a score of 20-14. However, they did that without Cam Newton, their star quarterback. Newton is expected back for their game against the Lions, which obviously changes things.
Newton, who was held out with a rib injury, is one of the more dynamic quarterbacks in the NFL. Without him, the Panthers had to rely on Derek Anderson, who did reasonably well against the Buccaneers, but is not somebody you want to rely on. Carolina's offense has questions still after their opener. Their wide receiving corps looks pretty bad on paper, although rookie Kelvin Benjamin made a nice touchdown grab against the Buccaneers. Their offensive line also is questionable too, so the Lions may be able to get some pressure on Carolina's quarterback. However, Newton is mobile, which will make things that more difficult. The fact that Carolina's offense is more run heavy, and has questions in the passing game, should help Detroit, who was better against the run last season and who has injury issues in the secondary.
When the Lions are on offense, don't expect their running game to get it going against the Panthers. Reggie Bush and Joique Bell didn't really do much against the Giants, and the Panthers have a much better front seven, perhaps the best in the NFL. They have an excellent middle linebacker in Luke Kuechly, and defensive tackle Star Lotulelei is stout against the run as well. Then, there is Greg Hardy, one of the best pass rushers in the league. Matthew Stafford wasn't really pressured by the Giants, though, and when he was, he showed real mobility within the pocket. The Lions' passing game was firing on all cylinders against the Giants, and the Panthers don't have a great secondary. If Detroit is going to score points, it will be through the air, and they definitely have the tools.
Carolina head coach Ron Rivera really remade himself last season, as he became more aggressive, going for it on fourth down more often, which was wise, as teams are generally too timid about such situations. Jim Caldwell is still a bit of a mystery as the Lions head coach, in terms of lessons learned since he got fired by the Indianapolis Colts. As such, it is hard to really say who has the edge in this coaching matchup. Detroit likely isn't going to score 35 points again. They are on the road, and they are facing a much tougher defense. However, if they get after Newton, it seems unlikely the Panthers will be able to score much. If that happens, even if the Lions are kept in check a bit, a win still seems quite possible.
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Chris Morgan has been a diehard Detroit Lions fan through the good (Barry Sanders) and the bad (Matt Millen) and that love has led him to take jobs writing about sports, including as a fantasy sports "expert." His work can be found on Examiner.com. .
