Buffalo Bills vs. Carolina Panthers
The Buffalo Bills, fresh off a win over division rival New York Jets, travel to Bank of America Stadium to take on the Carolina Panthers on Sunday in Week 2. Both the Bills and the Panthers enter this game 1-0 and look to maintain their position at of the top of their divisions.
This game will also be a homecoming for first year Bills head coach Sean McDermott, who was the defensive coordinator for five years with Carolina.
These teams are similar on paper. Both teams rely on strong run games and great defensive play to win games. Quarterbacks Cam Newton and Tyrod Taylor were drafted the same year, despite Newton starting immediately and Taylor playing backup in Baltimore for four years. The largest difference between these teams is that fans have seen the Panthers have success in recent years, whereas the Bills are still working towards that goal.
Keys to Victory
The Bills need to rush the ball effectively in order to win. Taylor is a talented quarterback but needs to run to set up a lot of what the Bills do on offense. Running back LeSean McCoy rushed for over 100 yards in Buffalo’s opening game but is now dealing with a wrist injury this week. It is highly unlikely that the injury would cause McCoy to miss this game. However, McCoy will likely need be at 100 percent facing a Panther’s defense that only allowed 51 rushing yards last week.
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The Buffalo defense will also need to focus on how to limit rookie running back Christian McCaffrey. The Panthers drafted McCaffrey No. 8 overall in the 2017 NFL Draft in order to provide Newton with a versatile weapon.
It appears that plan has already planned out as McCaffrey not only rushed for 47 yards on 13 carries in his debut but also led the team in receptions, hauling in five balls for 38 yards. McCaffrey seems to be a big part of what the Panthers are trying to do on offense, so if the Bills can take him out of the game they will limit Newton’s options.
The Panthers will have the same key to victory every week: protect their quarterback. Newton has taken a ton of punishment in his first six seasons. The Panthers learned what could happen last season, as Newton got banged up early and missed the playoffs only one year removed from a 15-1 season. If Carolina has any hope of making a Super Bowl run this season it will be because Newton is playing at an MVP level, which will be impossible if he isn’t healthy.
Betting Odds
Point Spread: Carolina -7
Moneyline: Carolina -340, Buffalo +274
Over/Under: 43
All betting odds provided by BookMaker via The Sportsbook Review
Next: NFL: 5 Teams on upset alert in Week 2
Score Prediction
The line of this game is slightly surprising. Newton didn’t look great in Week 1 and the Bills defense is much better than the 49ers. I think this game is going to end up incredibly close, and really well come down to which defense can perform better. Carolina has a little more talent on the defensive side of the ball, and that might be all it takes.
Final Score: Carolina Panthers: 21, Buffalo Bills: 20