The Detroit Lions and Carolina Panthers both won their first games in the 2014 NFL regular season. Yet, experts are only beginning to learn about them. They’ll know more after Sunday.
Detroit Lions @ Carolina Panthers
Sunday, September 14th – 1:00 PM ET
Odds: Carolina -2.5
Why The Lions Will Cover
They have the better playmakers in this game and can score points instantly. Detroit must look at a Carolina Panther team without Steve Smith and feel that there’s no real comparison between its receivers and the Panthers’ receivers. Carolina’s roster is thin at that position, while the Lions know that Calvin Johnson can explode at any time. Golden Tate, having come over from the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks, gives the Lions another quality receiver on the other side of the field, someone who can spread out defenses and make it harder for opposing secondaries to devote too much attention to Megatron. This combination of receiving threats worked well together in the Lions’ 35-14 win over the New York Giants last Monday. Detroit got 346 passing yards from quarterback Matthew Stafford. The Lions were able to hit Johnson for a 67-yard touchdown pass. They got the big plays they wanted, and they finished drives when they didn’t get the one huge play. What is really encouraging about Detroit’s opener is that Stafford did not throw an interception and that the team did not commit a turnover. Mistakes have been the constant problem for Detroit over the years. Talent has not been an issue; doing stupid things was the main issue the team needed to tackle. With Stafford being more responsible, the Lions look like a playoff team. If their offense plays well, they’re going to win.
Why The Panthers Will Cover
They have a defense that looks like it’s going to be able to hold up under pressure this season, maintaining Carolina’s place as a contender in the NFC South. The Carolina defense was the star of the team’s 2013 division championship season, but with quarterback Cam Newton out in week one and with Steve Smith no longer on the team after establishing himself as the best receiver in the Panthers’ short history as a franchise, the defense needed to be even better in 2014. In week one, it certainly was. The Panthers’ defense earned a hard-fought six-point win by not only limiting the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to 14 points. The Panthers also forced three Tampa Bay turnovers. In a six-point game (20-14), those three turnovers made a huge difference. Carolina’s defense is agile and smart enough to confuse Matthew Stafford. The Panthers, unlike the New York Giants, can play at a high level in the secondary and can shrink the field even against a talent such as Calvin Johnson. Carolina’s defensive discipline will put it in place to make this a miserable day for Stafford.
Outlook
If Detroit can win this game, it would prove that it can be consistent from week to week, especially away from home. The Lions, though, have rarely shown they can be that kind of team over the past several years. Recent history shows that Detroit will stumble in this one.
Pick: Panthers -2.5
