The Carolina Panthers have weathered multiple late-game comebacks to remain undefeated nine weeks into their 2015 campaign. As the sports world pays more attention to the team playing in Charlotte, the team is heading to Tennessee to take on the 2-6 Titans. Even though the ESPN Matchup Predictor shows the Panthers with a 62.1 percent chance to win this game, Cam Newton and the crew must be focused on this game.
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The conversation always starts with Newton and his play under center. Newton is coming off of his fourth NFC Offensive Player of the Week award as he had a strong performance against the Green Bay Packers. Defensively the Titans show weaknesses in two key areas that Newton must exploit this coming weekend.
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The Titans’ defense has given up big games against two other NFC South units. Both the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New Orleans Saints were able to score big against this unit and pressure them throughout the game. It will be interesting to see if Newton can continue that trend. Greg Olsen remains Newton’s number one weapon through the air, but other players have popped up to support throughout the season. Devin Funchess performed well against the Packers with a few big plays that day; look for him to get more opportunities against this weakened pass defense
Rushing the ball has been Carolina’s bread and butter this season, but Jonathan Stewart is listed as questionable coming into this game. He leads the team in rushing yards, but he and Newton have been a dynamic punch that teams have not been able to stop at any point this year. Fozzy Whitaker and Mike Tolbert both contribute when needed and if Stewart cannot play this weekend, the Panthers will lean on their performance throughout this game.
Defensively the Panthers may find themselves in a tough spot. Josh Norman and Shaq Thompson are probably while Luke Kuechly is questionable to play. These are three key components to the Panthers’ defense that continue to come up big in late-game situations. Tennessee may not be able to capitalize on the situation as their offense is ranked 28th in the league as they average 331.5 yards per game and 19.9 points.
Pressure will be a big part of this game. Carolina has done a fantastic job getting out to early leads and pressuring teams in the first half of the game. The problem comes in the second half when their play calling completely shifts to a moderate strategy that allows teams to push their way back into contention. The Titans should expect a lot of early pressure in this game, but more of a concerted effort to keep their foot o0n the gas throughout the entire 60 minutes.
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The Carolina Panthers have a strong chance of extending their record to 9-0 as they venture into enemy territory this weekend. The Titans are 0-4 at home and would love to get their first win of the year against the undefeated Panthers. A focused effort of pressure and continuing the tactics that have worked this year are key in giving Carolina another win.