The Carolina Panthers will begin their 2020 season this weekend against the Las Vegas Raiders. At the moment, they are considered three-point underdogs despite having the home-field advantage. If they’re going to overcome those odds and pull off a Week 1 victory, then they will need to win several key individual matchups.
Here are 10 that we will be following closely come Sunday afternoon.
RB Christian McCaffrey vs. SS Johnathan Abram
The Raiders loaded up on linebackers this offseason, but their best run defender may be Abram, who missed most of last year with a shoulder injury. Abram is a heavy hitter who can energize his whole team like early Keanu Neal or Kam Chancellor. On the other hand, McCaffrey is the top running back in football and makes even great run stuffers look bad. He’s also underrated as a runner between the tackles. It will be fascinating to see what happens when these two butt heads.
WR D.J. Moore vs. CB Amik Robertson
Carolina’s other top playmaker is No. 1 wide receiver D.J. Moore, who also happens to be the most-accomplished slot receiver on their roster. That could put him on a collision course with Robertson, who is a tenacious slot corner who may have been the Raiders’ best draft pick this year. Moore (six-foot, 209 pounds) has a clear size advantage here, but Robertson’s (5-foot-8, 172 pounds) physicality could give him trouble at the catch point.
WR Robby Anderson vs. CB Damon Arnette
The big ticket item for the Panthers in free agency this year was former Jets wide receiver Robby Anderson, who is one of the league’s top vertical threats. His open-field speed could be a problem for Las Vegas, especially when he’s matched up with their first-round pick. Arnette ran a 4.56 40-yard dash at the combine, while Anderson ran a 4.36 at his pro day. That adds up to a lot of yards stretched out over a deep route.
Joe Brady vs. Paul Guenther
This will be new offensive coordinator Joe Brady’s first NFL game. While Raiders defensive coordinator Paul Guenther has the edge in experience, his defense has ranked second-to-last in DVOA for two years in a row. Brady also has more weapons to work with. If he can put his skill players to use and call a smart game-plan, it’ll go a long way towards an upset win for the Panthers.
Carolina’s run defense vs. RB Josh Jacobs
No matter how brilliant Brady’s offense is, the young players on the other side of the ball are going to have to step up. The Panthers had the league’s worst run defense by far last year. While they’ve added some pieces this offseason that should help, it won’t be easy stopping the Raiders’ run game. Jacobs is one of the NFL’s best rushers and he has a powerful offensive line leading the way for him. They ran on 44.19% of their offensive plays in 2019, eighth-most in the league.
CB Donte Jackson vs. WR Henry Ruggs
Carolina’s defense is weakest at cornerback, which will make for a few anxiety-inducing matchups outside. Donte Jackson is the team’s top corner now, which puts him up against the Raiders’ No. 1 draft pick this year, Henry Ruggs. Jackson can match his speed, but Ruggs was one of the best receivers in a draft class loaded with talent at this position. He will need to keep Ruggs in front of him and avoid the mental errors that wound up getting him benched late in 2019.
CB Troy Pride Jr. vs. WR Bryan Edwards
The Raiders doubled down at receiver later on by picking up South Carolina’s Bryan Edwards in the third round. With Eli Apple going on injured reserve, the Panthers will likely be starting fourth-rounder Troy Pride Jr. outside. That could be problematic given how much size he’s giving up to Edwards, who is four inches taller and 18 pounds heavier. Pride will need to prove he can compete with bigger receivers if he’s going to continue starting in the NFC South, so this is an appropriate challenge to get started.
DE Brian Burns vs. OT Kolton Miller
The Panthers finished second in the NFL in sacks last season. While they lost a lot of firepower up front in free agency, they still have Burns, who is now their top pass-rusher. Kolton Miller is the Raiders’ starting left tackle and he is nowhere near as stout in pass protection as Donald Penn was in his prime. Meanwhile, Burns put on 10 pounds of muscle over the summer. Now he has to show he can translate his speed into power. Burns should be able to dominate this matchup and get consistent pressure on Derek Carr.
LT Russell Okung vs. DE Maxx Crosby
On the other side, the Raiders’ reigning sack champion is Maxx Crosby, who led his team with 10 in his rookie season. Crosby will be lining up across from Russell Okung, who came over from the Chargers in a trade for Trai Turner. While he’s a definite upgrade over the last several left tackles the Panthers have started, Okung has never been an elite pass protector and he’ll turn 32 years old next month. This will be a critical matchup that could go either way.
LB Tahir Whitehead vs. Jon Gruden
Finally, the biggest disadvantage the Panthers face this year is going from Luke Kuechly at middle linebacker to Tahir Whitehead. Kuechly was perhaps the NFL’s best coverage linebacker, while Whitehead is the worst. Jon Gruden had a front-row seat for Whitehead’s struggles the last two seasons so he should know how to exploit them. Expect Gruden to use Jacobs and the very underrated tight end Darren Waller to put Whitehead’s spotty coverage to the test.
