Can Carolina's run game exploit Buffalo's defensive weakness? The Panthers aim to prove their progress against a reeling Bills squad.
The Carolina Panthers Can Validate The Success From Their Three-Game Winning Streak Against the Buffalo Bills.
The Panthers (4-3) don't need to defeat the Bills (4-2) in order to prove they are heading in the right direction.
However, they must at least push Josh Allen, the reigning MVP, on Sunday and not have a performance that mirrors prior results — *cough cough* New England and Jacksonville *cough cough* — from earlier in the season.
Let's use the Panthers' flourish to close the 2024 regular season as a guide. Because what followed was an offseason of optimism within the organization.
Those good vibes didn't stem from the 5-12 record Carolina finished with, but instead from the elevated standard of play it showcased against elite competition. Seven of the final nine games were either won by the Panthers or decided by one score. That included close-call losses against the Eagles and the Chiefs, who would go on to meet in the Super Bowl.
Bringing it back it back to this weekend's date with Buffalo, there are real reasons for belief from a Carolina lens.
After a white-hot start, the Bills have not looked like the AFC juggernaut they were projected to be this season. First, they fell in a primetime game at home to Drake Maye's New England Patriots and then — on Monday night football — lost at the Atlanta Falcons.
Now the Bills take a two-game losing streak into Bank of America Stadium and there are key areas that they are leaking oil.
Buffalo has the 31st-ranked run defense, which might be an issue when facing the Panthers ground attack. Carolina currently ranks third in the league in rushing behind its running back tandem of Rico Dowdle and Chuba Hubbard.
The Bills' defense has also struggled to turn opponents over this season. It ranks just 26th in takeaways, which is obviously good news for Panthers starting quarterback Andy Dalton. Last season, Dalton had a 1-4 record in five starts. The one win in Las Vegas was Dalton's only turnover-free performance.
While the Bills are struggling coming off last week's open date, the Panthers have won three straight games and enter Sunday with a perfect 3-0 home record this season.
So while the ingredients are all there for the Panthers to pull off an upset that would dramatically change the national perception of the franchise, they should — at a minimum — be able to stay competitive in this game.