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Dolphins at Panthers: 3 matchups to watch for

By Danny Jaillet

ORCHARD PARK, NY - AUGUST 09: Head coach Ron Rivera of the Carolina Panthers speaks with line judge Dana McKenzie #8 during the first half of a preseason game against the Buffalo Bills at New Era Field on August 9, 2018 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images)
ORCHARD PARK, NY - AUGUST 09: Head coach Ron Rivera of the Carolina Panthers speaks with line judge Dana McKenzie #8 during the first half of a preseason game against the Buffalo Bills at New Era Field on August 9, 2018 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images) /
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DENVER, CO – AUGUST 07: Offensive tackle Eric Winston #73, guard Stephen Schilling #63 and center Greg Van Roten #62 of the Seattle Seahawks line up against the Denver Broncos during preseason action at Sports Authority Field at Mile High on August 7, 2014 in Denver, Colorado. The Broncos defeated the Seahawks 21-16. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)
DENVER, CO – AUGUST 07: Offensive tackle Eric Winston #73, guard Stephen Schilling #63 and center Greg Van Roten #62 of the Seattle Seahawks line up against the Denver Broncos during preseason action at Sports Authority Field at Mile High on August 7, 2014 in Denver, Colorado. The Broncos defeated the Seahawks 21-16. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images) /

 The left guards against the Dolphin pass rush

It almost seems like I write this on a daily basis. The left guard position against the Dolphins defensive line will be the top matchup to watch on Friday night.

Brendan Mahon and Greg van Roten should see a lot of playing time in this one. With both individuals performing strongly, this seems like the perfect opportunity for them to show the coaches what they have. The stellar play of both could not have come at a better time as the team looks to provide some stability on the line.

It will be important to see how they do against a Dolphin defensive front that includes Cameron Wake on the opposite side. We probably will not see much of Wake though. If anything, I would expect to see more of William Hayes and Andre Branch. Branch had 4.5 sacks and 12 tackles last year. For his part, Hayes had 14 tackles and a sack last year. Those numbers do not pop out at you, but nevertheless, they are something to be mindful of.

This is an extremely important matchup as it may give us an idea of what to expect during the regular season. Although nothing is set in stone, this at the very least is good experience for the two. Both have had very strong camps, and now they will be thrown into the proverbial fire on Thursday as the Carolina Panthers look to rectify their offensive line situation.

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