Fans should be excited about the upcoming season, and the Carolina Panthers schedule should certainly aid the excitement.
The Carolina Panthers have an exciting slate of games in the 2019 season. They do not seem to have a game off, as every opponent will be tough. In a year where the Carolina Panthers are looking to bounce back, having a difficult schedule may not be the best thing in the world. Nevertheless, it should prepare them for a possible postseason run, as several of these teams are among the elite of the National Football League. The real trick for the Panthers will be to see if they can go toe-to-toe with these teams.
With the months of September and October having tough games mixed in, November and December will provide a real challenge. In particular, December is full of games with divisional opponents. That month in particular could make or break the season for the Panthers. I hate to have an entire season come down to a loss in December. Nevertheless, the schedule is set up so that scenario may rear its ugly head.
Without further ado, I take a look at the three most interesting games on the Carolina Panthers 2019 schedule. Especially for season-ticket holders, this should be a great year. Buckle up, it’s going to be a fun ride.
New Orleans Saints-December 29 (1:00 p.m.)
The last game of the season against the New Orleans Saints definitely provides some intrigue. For one, we don’t know what type of team the Carolina Panthers will be putting out on the field. Will they be resting all of their starters and putting in their backups as they rest for a playoff push? Alternatively, will we see the majority of the starters play the game in what is a lost season?
The Carolina Panthers have a difficult stretch in the month of December with the Redskins, Seahawks, Colts, Falcons, and Saints all opponents that month. Depending on how the standings shape up, Carolina will need to win several of those games. This last game is so intriguing to me because it is dependent upon how the rest of the season goes, particularly that stretch mentioned above. This is a very difficult set of games for the Carolina Panthers, and they will need to be playing their best football over the course of those couple of weeks.
I hope this game has some meaning to it as two teams battle it out for supremacy in the standings. However, the National Football League is funny. You never know how each week is going to go. Hopefully, the Carolina Panthers will be on the right side of things and this New Orleans game will feature a classic matchup between Drew Brees and Cam Newton, fighting to put their team over the top. With running back matchups like Alvin Kamara against Christian McCaffrey and wide receiver matchups such as D.J. Moore and Curtis Samuel against Michael Thomas, this should make for a fun afternoon.
Atlanta Falcons- December 8 (1:00 p.m.)
Any game against the Atlanta Falcons is always exciting, and the one they have at the beginning of December on the road should be a fun one. Mercedes-Benz Stadium is always a difficult place to play, and this game should be no exception.
The difficulty of the venue has reared its ugly head for Carolina. Take the last time they played there on September 16, 2018 as proof of that. In what was a closely-contested game, the Panthers fell to Atlanta by a 24-31 score. This game is intriguing because of the positional matchups that are available. There is a ton of star power on display.
Take the quarterbacks in Cam Newton and Matt Ryan. Those two have been through it all and have tremendous success individually. Devonta Freeman against Christian McCaffrey is another great one. Those two have had some great battles over the years. Samuel and Moore against Calvin Ridley and Julio Jones should perhaps be the best matchup of the day.
Lastly, the Carolina Panthers front seven against the Atlanta Falcons offensive line looks to provide a challenge. With Atlanta drafting two rookies in Christopher Lindstrom and Kaleb McGary on the line, the Falcons are more prepared for the pass rush than they were last year.
This should be a great game to watch, and I can’t wait to see it unfold. It also happens to be during that tough December stretch that the Panthers should be mindful of. All in all, these factors set the backdrop for a fun, but perhaps nerve-racking, afternoon of football.
Los Angeles Rams- September 8 ( 1:00 p.m.)
Nothing like a season-opening challenge, am I right? The Carolina Panthers do not get any softballs for the opener as they face the Los Angeles Rams. This is a great test for a Panthers team that has a lot of new talent, especially on the defensive side of the football. With players like Todd Gurley and Darnell Henderson at running back, and Cooper Kupp appearing to be healthy again, this is a great matchup all around.
For the new-and improved offensive line, Aaron Donald will be perhaps the biggest challenge. He is arguably the best pass-rusher in the game today, and he will definitely give the Panthers some nightmares matchup-wise. This will be a test on both sides of the football for Carolina, and how well they do in this one could set the tone for the rest of the season.
It will also tell us if general manager Marty Hurney made the right moves in the offseason. With the Rams having tremendous success over the past couple of seasons, they could certainly be used as a benchmark for success. The potent offense of Los Angeles should be on full display, and DOnte Jackson and the rest of the secondary will have their hands full. It should be a very exciting game, if nothing else for the simple fact that it is the beginning of the 2019 season.