Primetime Picture Week 8: Panthers @ 49ers
By Peyton Schultze
Despite not scoring an offensive touchdown, the 49ers pulled out a win on the road in Wahsington behind a dominant defensive performance (via USA Today).
Welcome to the sixth edition of Primetime Picture, our new weekly series featuring the NFL’s game of the week. For this weekend, MVP candidate Christian McCaffrey and the scolding hot Carolina Panthers travel on the road to Northern California for a duel with the San Francisco 49ers and their lethal defense in a battle of NFC powerhouses (1:05 PM PST, FOX).
After a slow start to the season with two straight losses to open up 2019, the Carolina Panthers (4-2) are red-hot and looking to make a run toward the postseason in a loaded NFC. With their former MVP quarterback Cam Newton sidelined with an injury over this four game winning streak, young quarterback Kyle Allen has stepped into the spotlight and helped get this organization back on track and back into the playoff hunt. With a strong supporting cast including the dynamic Christian McCaffrey, a very good offensive line, and some solid weapons on the outside, Carolina has been able to become a potent unit on offense that has been a key part of them reeling off four straight wins over Arizona, Houston, Jacksonville, and Tampa Bay in London. In addition, the Panthers have the 12th ranked defense in the NFL in total yardage led by veteran linebacker, Luke Kuechly, who is once again having a phenomenal season. If Carolina can pull off an upset on Sunday over the undefeated Niners with their great play on both sides of the football, this team could find themselves in the thick of the NFC playoff race along with other contenders such as Green Bay, Seattle, Dallas, and New Orleans.
However, one of the league’s most captivating stories of the new season has been the immediate success of the undefeated San Francisco 49ers (6-0). Led by a dangerous defense that ranks second in the league in total defense and first against the pass, San Francisco looks like a sudden Super Bowl contender that belongs in the conversation for the NFL’s best team. Head coach Kyle Shanahan has been able to turn this team’s success around this season, led in large part by how well both sides of the ball have been playing. The 49ers were truly on fire through their four games, but have cooled down a bit over their past two weeks despite wins over Los Angeles and Washington. San Francisco’s offense has been one of the main culprits for this, as they have slowed down quite a bit over the past few weeks. Nevertheless, they’ll be looking for a bounce-back performance this weekend with an elite running game and a dynamic play-action passing game with quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, who has played solid but has had several curious turnovers over the course of the season. Luckily for the Niners, a mid-week trade for veteran wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders should have coaches and fans alike thrilled about the potential of this Niners’ offense as they look to keep rolling and capture the NFC West crown. The Niners have a major test this week in perhaps their toughest matchup of the year, and we will truly find out what this team is made of against a solid Carolina squad.
After a ridiculous statistical start to the season, running back Christian McCaffrey has the Panthers rolling with four straight wins (via Houston Chronicle).
Few through that the Carolina Panthers could make any noise after Cam Newton was sidelined with an injury after a Week 2 Thursday night loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but here they are with four straight encouraging wins. Backup quarterback and potential franchise starter Kyle Allen has shown a great sense of poise and comfort since being thrown into the fire in place of Newton, and his undefeated record this season has people wondering about the future of Newton with the franchise. Allen has been surrounded by a solid offensive line and some great options on the outside such as DJ Moore, Curtis Samuel, and veteran tight end Greg Olsen, all of whom have helped make life easier for Allen in the lineup. However, the most important factor of the success of this Panthers’ squad has been the exceptional play of all-star running back and MVP candidate Christian McCaffrey. McCaffrey was a standout star during his time in college at Stanford, but few could have predicted how well he would play once in the National Football League. The running back now looks like one of the best overall players in football, and is in the conversation for league MVP right now due to Carolina’s recent play on the field. The Panthers may not be the most flashy team on offense, but they look like a real unit capable of putting up some big points all season.
Another major reason for Carolina’s recent success has been the suddenly resurgent play of their defense. The Panthers defense has not always been as solid in recent seasons under head coach Ron Rivera, but the unit has once again returned to relevance with a nasty pass defense and timely plays on defense (nine interceptions ranks second in the league). The Panthers also rank eighth in the league against the pass and have been able to cause chaos for opposing quarterbacks all season long. Led by All-Pro linebacker Luke Kuechly in the middle of the field, Carolina has a solid mix of young and veteran players who are all playing at an extremely high level right now. Other stud players such as Gerald McCoy, Shaq Thompson, Mario Addison, and Dontari Poe have also had great individual seasons alongside Kuechly, and the defense has some real potential to finish the season in the top 10. They will certainly face a tough matchup against a dangerous Niners’ running game, but the Panthers have all the tools to shut down or limit the effectiveness of the 49ers’ offense on Sunday afternoon.
Tight end George Kittle is one of the most dangerous weapons in the league on offense as a major factor in the 49ers’ dynamic offense (via Pro Football Network).
In attempting to challenge the Golden State Warriors for the title of the Bay Area’s best team, the San Francisco 49ers have become one of the most interesting teams in the league with an undefeated record with six wins and zero losses. Although they have not been quite as dynamic in recent weeks, the 49ers’ offense has been a major reason for their success with an elite running game and solid play from quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. With this level of production coming from players such as Tevin Coleman, Matt Breida, George Kittle, and newly-acquired Emmanuel Sanders, the 49ers have some real potential to be one of the best offenses in the league all season long as long as they limit their back-breaking turnovers. This has all eyes on Garoppolo, whose glamorous record with the 49ers has people around the league fawning over the signal caller’s immediate success when on the field. The Niners may face a bit of a tough assignment this weekend against a Panthers’ defense that is seemingly playing their best football of the season, but they have an opportunity to validate themselves as one of the best teams in the league on offense.
Nevertheless, the main story of the season for San Francisco has been the spectacular play of their loaded defense. With a truly special pass rush featuring a solid rotation of stud players led by Defensive Rookie of the Year favorite Nick Bosa, the Niners have an uncanny ability to get after the passer and cause chaos in the backfield for opposing offenses. Ranked second in the league in terms of total yards behind New England, San Francisco has really taken off this season and remains arguably the deepest defense in all of football. However, this doesn’t hide from the fact that the Niners really lack a ton of big name talents outside of Bosa and future Hall of Fame corner Richard Sherman. This speaks to the unreal play of the defense without a ton of major star power, coached by defensive coordinator Robert Saleh. If Saleh can keep this defense playing at such a high level, there is no telling just how far this 49ers team can go with one of the best defenses in recent memory on their side.
Quarterback Kyle Allen has excelled on the field since he was promoted to the starting job in place of the injured Cam Newton (via Oskeim Sports).
Panthers’ Keys to the Game: Find a Way to Shut Down the 49ers’ Pass Rush and Attack Garoppolo with Blitzes All Day
One major aspect of this game will be decided in the battle between the 49ers’ elite defensive line against the Panthers’ offensive line. The so-called “battle of the trenches” is a bit of beaten down cliché around the league, but this game has a high chance of being decided in this part of the field when a group as good as the 49ers’ D line is involved. Carolina does not really have one of the best or most well-known O-lines in the game, but they’ve done a very nice job of protecting youngster Kyle Allen over the course of their five game winning streak. However, Carolina will not face off against a better pass rush all year than they will this weekend, which makes it even more important for this offensive line to have their best performance to date. Whether its blocking for the shifty McCaffrey or protecting in the short to medium passing game for the Panthers, the Carolina offensive line will need to set a physical tempo early on in order to have success all day on offense. The Rams and Redskins’ offenses were ruined by the 49ers’ pass rush over the past two weeks, and Carolina will look to avoid that same type of fate with a season-defining performance against a lethal group of players trying to sack the quarterback.
Jimmy Garoppolo has certainly had a successful season so far with an undefeated record and several big time throws, but he has often shown some cracks in his armor in the past against a heavy blitz. Like many inexperienced quarterbacks in the NFL, Garoppolo has a tendency to throw some dangerous jump balls into the air when he is faced with pressure up the middle and Carolina would be wise to attack this part of the 49ers’ offense on Sunday. If there is one player that you would trust on defense to help lead this charge, it has to certainly be Panthers’ linebacker Luke Kuechly. Kuechly is one of the smartest players in all of football, and is a player who has always been engaged in a chess match with other superstar quarterbacks in the past such as Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees. If he and the Panthers’ group of solid linebackers and defensive lineman can cause chaos for Garoppolo in the pocket and force a few panicked throws in the middle of the field, Carolina could force a few game-changing turnovers and could own a key advantage on defense all day long on Sunday.
Jimmy Garoppolo will need to have a bounce back game on Sunday if San Francisco wants to beat a quality opponent in the Ron Rivera-led Panthers (via Flipboard).
49ers’ Keys to the Game: Generate Big Yardage in the Passing Game and Force Allen to Have to Win the Game
Despite their awesome 6-0 record that has them at the top of the NFC, San Francisco has had some faults on offense that have been exposed in recent weeks. One of their major problems has been in the passing game, where Jimmy Garoppolo has not done a whole lot that has jumped off the page. Garoppolo will need to be much better this week against a steady Panthers’ defense, and he must hold his back-breaking turnovers to a minimum. However, Garoppolo should be happy with the recent addition of former Broncos wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders, who will join a receiving group led by elite tight end George Kittle. This weekend, the 49ers’ offense will need use a heavy dosage of their receiving targets to create some big plays in the passing game against a Carolina defense that will likely key in on the San Francisco run game that ranks near the top of the league. If the 49ers can get a few plays of over 20 yards to put themselves in a legit scoring position and elongate drives, San Francisco could capture their seventh win of the season and remain undefeated.
It is nearly impossible to completely shut down running back Christian McCaffrey, but the Tampa Bay Buccaneers gave a blueprint to the rest of the NFL after two awesome defensive performances against him. With a loaded defensive line that is able to slow down a speedy back from bumping to the outside, the 49ers and Bucs have some similarities on defense that could at least take away some of the elite running back effectiveness in that area of their gameplan. With this, it could force unproven Panthers’ quarterback Kyle Allen to win the game for the Carolina passing game. Allen has been very solid since being inserted into the starting lineup, but we have not yet seen him have a monster performance that could signal his future as a franchise quarterback. The 49ers will likely take their chances against the young signal caller this weekend with their ferocious pass rush, and there is a much more likely chance that San Francisco wins on Sunday if they can at least limit McCaffrey in the Panthers’ gameplan. It should be a close game on both sides of the ball, and the matchup between Allen and the 49ers’ defense could be a huge deciding factor in this battle.
With a very good defense and an MVP candidate on offense, the Panthers have all the tools to pull off an upset and give the 49ers their first loss of the young season on Sunday (via Flipboard).
Prediction: Carolina Panthers (20) - San Francisco 49ers (17)
San Francisco has been one of the best teams in recent memory on the defensive side of the football, but they have yet to face a player on offense this year capable of taking over a game like McCaffrey. After a very solid start to his career, McCaffrey has really taken off this season and has risen to the status as a top three running back in the league and one of the most dynamic players in football. These two immovable forces head into Sunday’s matchup at full strength and tons of momentum, and we should be able to find out a ton about just how good these football teams will be as the season moves along into fall.
Although Carolina has been McCaffrey’s team all season long, they will find a way to win this game if the Panthers’ defense continues their excellent play and Kyle Allen can rise to the occasion. After forcing Jameis Winston into five interceptions in their London matchup with the Bucs, the Panthers’ defense should be able to create a few turnovers on defense and force Garoppolo and the 49ers’ offense into some tough situations. San Francisco’s offense has been good all season, but they do seem like a group that has not reached their full potential yet with the amount of turnovers and 3-and-outs they have had. This could be a troublesome sign against a well-coached Carolina defense that is firing on all cylinders right now after a slow start to the season. With that being said, look for quarterback Kyle Allen to be the star on Sunday if the Panthers’ defense can shut down or at least slow the 49ers’ offense. With San Francisco focusing all on containing McCaffrey, Allen will be forced into a tough situation against a formidable defense. However, the young signal caller has defied the odds since replacing Cam Newton in the starting lineup, and this could be Allen’s true coming out party with a win this weekend. Look for the Panthers’ quarterback to have a great performance on Sunday, therefore solidifying his status as the Panthers’ starter for the rest of the season.
Betting: Carolina (+5.5) @ San Francisco
Even though we are picking the Panthers to win this game, we would have bet the underdog number in any case since it is simply too large to ignore. Although San Francisco is the NFC’s lone remining undefeated squad, they have not been as spectacular in the last two weeks in the offensive scoring department. Wins over the Rams and Redskins seemed to have overshadowed the 49ers’ subtle struggles on offense, and the 49ers will be facing a Panthers’ defense that is better than either of their last two opponents. With that being said, this game seems a little obvious in the choice to pick the Panthers to cover the spread. It is true that the 49ers have a great home field advantage at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, but the Panthers also have their own arsenal of weapons that should travel well. A strong running game and a tough defense can travel anywhere on a week-to-week basis in the NFL, even against mighty teams like the Patriots, and the Panthers are able to possess both on the road against an undefeated team. In addition, the 49ers have played a relatively weak schedule thus far, and this Sunday’s matchup has a chance to tell us a lot about just how good San Francisco is against a quality opponent. With a 5.5 point spread against one of the league’s hottest teams, this could be an exceptional bet this weekend, as Vegas seem to be underlying just how well the Panthers have been playing in recent weeks.