Carolina Panthers Archives | Sports Talk Line

It's Thursday, we are over the hump and thanks to NFL greed scheduling it's now time to set your fantasy football rosters, fill up the beer cooler, check your guacamole and chips inventory because it's TNF Week 2, TBvsCAR and who cares what day it is? It's time for some more football! There is only one game this Thursday and personally, I prefer that to a double-header. Let the eyes of football nation reside on a single matchup. Put two teams out there and let them play it out on the national stage with all eyes upon them. Players are acutely aware of such events and to a man will be extra motivated and indeed will feel that additional pressure that some excel under and others crumble beneath. It should be a hell of a game. Let's list some things to look for. TNF Week 2 TBvsCAR - Competitions Gerald McCoy vs Ndamaka Suh McCoy was "the man" at Tampa Bay until the team made it clear he was no longer in their plans. Now it's Suh manning his old position and at times last week, he was a force the 49ers could not deal with. McCoy isn't at the end of his rope yet however and his motivation will be off the charts as he quietly let it be known he was not pleased with the timing nor the manner of his exit from Tampa. Suh wants to prove he is worth the paycheck he demands so he can get another next season and McCoy wants to show the Buccs they made a bad swap for the coin they paid. There is no way this won't be fun to watch! Jameis Winston vs Cam Newton From the NFL Game Insight page: "Since 2015, James Winston and Cam Newton each have 7 games with 3+ INT since 2015 (T-most in NFL)." And there you have it. Both players have immense talent. Both players have issues with decision making. Both QB's will be facing excellent defenses. Both QB's are at career-defining moments. For Winston, that's it. He needs to tame his own demons. His issues are all self-made. He is the disease and the cure. He is currently a train wreck you can't tear your eyes away from coming off a 3 interception loss to the 49ers that was entirely his responsibility. He has the perfect coach to help him see the light. So far it's been a rough ride. It won't get any easier in Carolina on TNF. For Cam Newton, it's all about his shoulder right now. After playing with the damaged throwing wing last season he had surgery and the jury is still out yet suspicions abound after throwing downfield past the 20-yard mark just one-time last week in 38 attempts. This is a trend for Newton and the once-strong-armed QB does not look nor perform up to the expectations for a guy of his stature and talent. This smells a lot like when Andrew Luck tried to pretend he wasn't a shell of himself and finally had to take a year off. Keep your eyes on Cam when he has targets downfield. Is his throwing motion natural and full-throated? TNF Week 2 TBvsCAR - Matchups RB Ronald Jones vs Carolina Defense Jones was drafted in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft and in his rookie season was a total non-factor ending up with 44 yards on the season. In a timeshare last week with the Peyton Barber Jones tabbed 13 carries for 75 yards for a very nice 5.8 yard-per-carry average. Jones ran with power and decisiveness. He showed excellent ball security and looked comfortable when asked to stay in and block. Barber did not look anywhere near as effective and his 33 yards on 8 carries reflected this. Jones has the talent and if Fantasy Football is your thing is a player you may be able to waiver wire claim or low-ball trade for right now. Don't wait. After he puts up respectable numbers versus a tough Carolina D he gets some better matchups and won't be available on the cheap for long. LB Luke Kuechly vs Father Time Luke isn't the player he was, but what he is now is a sage veteran who still has enough wheel speed to play sideline to sideline. Kuechly is a guy that when he is feeling it can still take over a game. If this Thursday is one of those days, you don't want to miss it. Panthers DLine vs Buccaneers OLine/Run Game Gerland McCoy LDE, Dontari Poe, NT, Kawann Short, RDE represents three first-round selections all in the middle of the stout Panthers DLine. The Bucs running game showed signs of life last week versus a talented 49ers front. Being effective against these guys is the ultimate litmus test to let coach Arians know exactly what state his teams' running game is in. Devin White & Vernon Graves vs Panthers Speed Rookie ILB Devin White and CB Vernon Hargreaves are the two most talented defenders on the Buccs team. They are also two of very few players on the Bucs who have the wheels to keep up with Panthers WR Curtis Samuel and RB Christian McCaffrey. Samuel and McCaffrey have 6 gears to call on and can absolutely leave you in the dust. The Panthers have other players who can fly, but none have that 6th gear and cat-like quickness those two players possess. Hargreaves has the veteran savvy to pair with his insane physical traits which puts the onus on rookie LB Devin White who has the physical skill set but is indeed a rookie who has yet to slow the game down. He had a solid game last week. He's going to have to take it up a notch to give his club a chance this Thursday versus Panthers' RB Christian McCaffrey. RB Christian McCaffrey vs Expectations When you go 19 carries for 128 yards, 2 TD's, 6.7 yd-per-carry average and 10 receptions and 81 yards on 11 targets and people are lamenting the stats don't do the performance justice you start to understand what you may have missed by not turning into the Panthers vs Rams matchup last week. To be frank, you would be wise to put the DVR on record for every Panthers game for the rest of the season just so you can sit back and watch the human stats machine blow your freaking mind with jaw-dropping cuts, unbelievable stop-start quickness and mind-numbing speed. Toss in soft hands, brilliant vision and a fierce will to succeed, shake and serve immediately. WHAT is this guy going to deliver next and can he keep it up? That is the million-dollar question and there is no way I am betting against this guy. If the Buccs D thinks it can bottle this guy up after facing Brieda and the 49ers they are in for a VERY rude awakening. Look for another 200+ yard-from-scrimmage game and a Panthers victory. Another Left Coast Sports Post on Twitter: Steven Van Over

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