The key of late has been Newton’s late-game big-play flair despite an underwhelming group of wideouts. Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports
Carolina Panthers (8-0) at Tennessee Titans (2-6)
Sunday, 1:00 p.m. ET, at Nissan Stadium, Nashville – TV: FOX
*TV announcers: Thom Brennaman, Charles Davis, Tony Siragusa
*Keys to the game: It’s not always pretty, but the Panthers sport the league’s No. 4 scoring offense at 28.5 points per game. The ground game leads the league thanks to QB Cam Newton’s contributions along with RB Jonathan Stewart. The key of late has been Newton’s late-game big-play flair despite an underwhelming group of wideouts. Tennessee’s defense is better than most people give it credit for, but the secondary is banged up and vulnerable.
Titans QB Marcus Mariota is coming off his second four-touchdown game of the season, but was aided by several kind bounces – two that landed in the hands of TE Delanie Walker for big plays at New Orleans. To be competitive deep into the fourth quarter, Mariota needs an excellent effort from new lead back Antonio Edwards. The Panthers enter with 25 sacks and will abuse the Titans’ offensive line unless Mariota is in manageable passing situations and can fire the ball quickly.
*Matchup to watch – Panthers CB Josh Norman vs. Titans WR Dorial Green-Beckham: It will be interesting to see if Carolina has its star shutdown corner shadow the rookie. The coaching staff simplified the route tree for “DGB” last week, and the result was five catches for 77 yards on a game-high 10 targets. He’s raw, but DGB is the most explosive of the Titans’ wideouts.
*Player spotlight – Titans RB David Cobb: Activated this week from the PUP list, the rookie will be active on game day. He will see most of his snaps on special teams, but could be worked into the backfield mix.
*Fast facts: Mariota has twice thrown for four touchdowns and no interceptions. He has five touchdowns and five interceptions in his other four starts combined. … Newton has a 34.5 passer rating in the first quarter with no touchdowns and two interceptions. He has a 117.2 rating with two touchdowns and no picks in the fourth quarter of one-score games.
WHO WILL WIN AND WHY
The Panthers control the ball and they don’t turn it over often – two excellent attributes to avoid a mental meltdown on the road against an inferior opponent.
*Our pick: Panthers 30-20.
