After being bullied in a tough loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers last Sunday, the Carolina Panthers will look to rebound against a hot Detroit Lions team on Christmas Eve.
Here are six things to keep in mind for this Week 16 matchup.
The top cat
If history means anything in these matchups, the Panthers may very well be purring to a victory.
Carolina currently holds a 7-3 edge in the all-time matchup versus Detroit. That record also includes a 5-1 mark at home, with their most recent triumph coming in a 20-0 victory in 2020.
Can the Panthers continue their dominance in this cat fight?
A tale of two (kinda similar) seasons
Albeit through a slightly different road, both the Panthers and Lions have risen from poor starts to the 2022 season. Detroit entered November at an abysmal 1-6 while Carolina wasn’t too far ahead at 2-6 by that time.
Since then, the former completely flipped the switch to jump into the playoff race—winning six of their next seven outings in reaching a 7-7 record. And although the latter still sits at a rough 5-9, they control their own destiny in the NFC South.
So, obviously, this’ll be a game with plenty of postseason implications.
Trade winds
Another tie-in between these two teams is that they both traded away pretty big names on offense this season. Carolina shipped off running back Christian McCaffrey to the San Francisco 49ers and Detroit sent tight end T.J. Hockensen to the Minnesota Vikings in a surprising intra-division swap.
And both teams, funnily enough, have moved on just fine. The Panthers are still effective at pounding the rock and the Lions boast the NFL’s fourth-best offense.
What may have been
Remember back in the offseason of 2021 when the Panthers were *this close* to acquiring Matthew Stafford from the Lions? The trade would’ve sent over the eighth overall selection and Teddy Bridgewater in return for the veteran quarterback.
Well, that—of course—did not happen. Carolina did not appeal to Stafford, who ultimately wound up with the Los Angeles Rams and won a Super Bowl that same season.
It is interesting to think about what this matchup could’ve been had Stafford okayed the deal. There’d no be Jaycee Horn, no Jared Goff and maybe, just maybe, there’d still be a Matt Rhule.
Top tackles
The fate of these two franchises would also cross paths in the 2021 draft, when the Lions selected Penei Sewell with the seventh overall pick. Had Detroit not scooped up the University of Oregon offensive tackle, Carolina was there to pounce on the talented hog molly.
But, that sniping actually ended up rather well for the Panthers—who ultimately grabbed cornerback Jaycee Horn with the very next pick. Then, a year later, they eventually got their prized hog molly—jumping on Ikem Ekwonu with the sixth pick in 2022.
Both tackles have shined for their respective teams and should be fun to watch on Saturday.
Under pressure
Both teams should also feel pretty good about the future of their defensive line moving forward—specifically off the edge.
Brian Burns has established himself as a star for Carolina, as he’s in the midst of a career year and headed for a second straight Pro Bowl start. For Detroit, their first 2022 first-rounder Aidan Hutchinson is living up to his billing with 7.0 sacks thus far.
We must keep an eye on these two explosive pass rushers on Saturday, as they both have the ability to turn the tide quickly.
