Cat Crave Debates 49ers.com
By Josh Adler
Hey all! So this was my first time doing something like this and I have to say it was a ton of fun. Zach Grogan was nice enough to extend me an invitation to participate in yipyapsports first ever debate. I also want to thank Ryan Sakamoto for participating. He runs a great operation over at ninersfans.com and he was a worthy adversary. Obviously I picked the Panthers to win.
There are a few points I wanted to add that I failed to cover in the video. First, the Panthers defense will harass quarterback Colin Kaepernick all day. Back in week 10, they sacked Kaepernick a career high 6 times (without a sack from the Kraken). I expect that number to be higher this game after Kraken finally gets the edge on left tackle Joe Staley. Kaepernick has more weapons this time around but I have confidence in the Panthers secondary. They have had to face tough receivers and tight ends all season. They are no stranger to competition.
Nov 3, 2013; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers defensive tackle Star Lotulelei (98) on the field with a medicine ball during warm ups at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
One more player I failed to mention is Star Lotulelei. Being a defensive tackle, he will not put up flashy numbers but he will have a huge impact on the defensive front. He will shut down the run, forcing the 49ers to become one dimensional. When that happens, Star will command double teams in the middle forcing the 9ers to give either Greg Hardy or Charles Johnson one on ones on the edge. Those are matchups both ends can win almost every time. The weather in Charlotte has been rainy but forecasts are predicting sunny weather tomorrow. Regardless, this should be a defensive battle that harkens back to the NFL of old. Get ready Panthers fans. We are in for an amazing game and it is less than 24 hours away! Keep pounding!