The Carolina Panthers will try to win their first road game of the season this week against the Detroit Lions.
At 2-7 on the year it sounds just as difficult as it is.
The Lions are coming off an absolutely horrid performance against division rival Chicago. They have a lot of things to put together very quickly.
This game has a lot more to do with the Lions than it does the Panthers, but any time rookie Cam Newton is on the field it is worth watching.
Where: Ford Field; Detroit, Michigan
When: Sunday, November 20 at 1:00 p.m. EST
Watch: FOX. DirecTV 710
Listen: Panthers - 1110 AM WBT, Sirius 113. Detroit - 97.1 FM WXYT, Sirius 91.
Betting Line: Lions -7
What's At Stake?
NFC wild card positioning. The Panthers have nothing to do with this other than playing spoiler for the Lions.
Detroit cannot afford to lose any more conference games.
They're only realistic shot at the postseason is through a wild card berth. They've still yet to play the Packers this season but the defending champions are looking legitimately unbeatable.
Detroit has to take every win they can get.
Panthers Injury Report
Jeremy Shockey, TE - Questionable (Thigh)
Jason Phillips, LB - Questionable (Calf)
Lions Injury Report
Matthew Stafford, QB - Probable (Hand)
Jahvid Best, RB - Doubtful (Head)
Fantasy Start 'Em, Sit' Em and Sleeper
Start 'Em: Calvin Johnson, WR, Lions
He's a must-start every week.
Sit 'Em: DeAngelo Williams, RB, Panthers
The Lions are actually pretty stout against the run. And, because of their offensive firepower, they are likely to jump out to a lead on the Panthers at home.
That means a lot of drop backs for rookie Cam Newton and more opportunities for Jonathan Stewart to play over Williams in the backfield.
Sleeper: Tony Scheffler, TE, Lions
He's the second option behind Brandon Pettigrew, but he continues to make catches when called upon. He is one a two-game touchdown streak and it looks like he'll factor into the offense more and more with Jahvid Best out.
What They're Saying
The Charlotte Observer talks about the Panthers' struggles on the road writing:
0-3: Carolina's road record. The Panthers are one of only two NFL teams (along with Indianapolis) that have yet to win a game on the road. They are about to get a lot of chances. Five of Carolina's final seven games are on the road, including the next three.
Excitement about the Lions continues to heat up as they get ready to make a playoff push. The Detroit Free Press writes:
The Detroit Lions announced today they've sold out Sunday's game against the Carolina Panthers, their 10th straight sellout.
The Lions also sold out of about 1,500 standing room-only tickets for the Thanksgiving game against the undefeated Green Bay Packers in about 30 minutes.
Panthers Player to Watch: Cam Newton, QB
Every time he's on the field he's the guy to watch. The Titans blanked Newton last week, and the Panthers scored only three points in an ugly loss.
Newton will be out to fix that quickly. We know he's a threat on the ground, but (other than last week) he's become a true threat in the air as well.
The Lions aren't a dominant defense by any stretch, although they are improving, and Newton is likely going to try to overcompensate for last week's poor performance.
He's going to be a problem for the Lions.
Lions Player to Watch: Matthew Stafford, QB
He's also coming off an absolutely abysmal week in Week 10. Stafford looked more like a rookie than Newton did a week ago and the Lions suffered terribly.
If Detroit wants to prove their worth as a legitimate playoff team they need Stafford to get back to playing superior football.
He's too good and too talented to play that poorly.
The Lions need Stafford to rise up quickly. Resiliency is a key part of playing quarterback in the NFL. He needs to show he has a short memory and can get back to playing great football.
Key Matchup: Lions defense vs. Cam Newton
You can't break this down to one specific versus Newton.
He's going to make plays with his legs when things break down, but it will be important for the Lions' secondary to keep track of receivers.
At any given time, Newton's arm can flick the ball down the field with Steve Smith magically appearing behind the defense.
His legs and keeping track of where he is going is what makes that possible. Newton is a threat in every phase of the game and must be accounted for on every play.
The Lions handle him and they'll handle the Panthers.
Prediction: Lions 35, Panthers 27
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