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Potential Upset Of The Week - Carolina Panthers vs Detroit Lions
I might be going left field here in my potential upset game, but I have a good feeling about this. The Carolina Panthers are coming into Ford Field in Detroit getting defeated by the Pittsburgh Steelers in a romp-fest.
The Detroit Lions also lost to a team that is turning the corner in a big way: the Chicago Bears. This game could be perfect for the home team Detroit to bounce back against a Carolina squad that might still be reeling after their 52-21 loss to Pittsburgh Steelers.
One of the biggest question marks for me with the Panthers this season was who is going to run away as the best receiver for them. If you thought running back Christian McCaffrey, then you made a good guess. The likes of Devin Funchess, Torrey Smith, and D.J. Moore have been less than impressive. Tight end Greg Olsen has not been as good this year like his dependable self in previous years.
What I am afraid of is the Panthers becoming one dimensional in the offence. If defences understand that McCaffrey is the individual that you will have to stop to have the Panthers offence stalled, then I don't see Cam Newton being able to win it with the set of receivers that he has. The defence got lit up last week by the Steelers showing some fundamental flaws in their performance. The Panthers are also a dismal 1-3 on the road; a perfect recipe for the Lions to take advantage.
The Lions are 2-2 at home, where playing in a dome can be a massive advantage for the home team. They have come into this game losing their past three games to playoff-contending teams in the Chicago Bears, Minnesota Vikings, and the Seattle Seahawks.
Detroit's offence has been playing a lot better when they decided to allow rookie running back Kerryon Johnson run the ball. Losing Marvin Jones in the receiving game is a significant loss, but having Theo Reddick healthy and Kenny Golladay having a career year will all help quarterback Matthew Stafford.
Just like the Pittsburgh Steelers, if they play through their running back in Kerryon Johnson, he will open up the passing lanes for Golladay and Michael Roberts. On defence, the return of Darius Slay will only make the secondary stronger. Darius Slay, Quandre Diggs, and Glover Quin will put up a fight against the Panther receivers. Lions front four got stronger with the addition of Damon Harrison at the trade deadline.
All the scenarios I see have the Lions coming into a close game and winning against the reeling Carolina Panthers. This week might be the game Kerryon Johnson goes all out.
