4 pivotal matchups that will decide Panthers at Bucs in Week 18

CJ Henderson vs. Mike Evans

Not many expected CJ Henderson to be the No.1 guy this season for the Carolina Panthers even after the mid-season trade that brought him on board from the Jacksonville Jaguars. But injuries aplenty have thrust the young corner into the spotlight, and it’s time to sink or swim as far as the former first-round pick is concerned.

Henderson has shown plenty of promise in his time with the Panthers and has consistently improved throughout the season, limiting the lapses that plagued the second-year corner in the early going.

That said, Week 18 is going to be a challenge Henderson hasn’t faced since his disappointing outing against Amari Cooper in Week 4. That challenge is Mike Evans.

Evans and Cooper are not the same players. The Dallas Cowboys wideout is quite possibly the best route runner in the league and Evans has been on a quiet decline in recent seasons. However, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers star receiver is a handful no matter how you look at it.

The stutter-step is Evans’ bread and butter and Henderson is going to have to be patient and not bite, give up the short catch to protect against the long ball. If the star receiver gets a short comeback, live with it so that he can’t get the big touchdown.

Henderson is going to have to sit back and calm down, let the play come to him if he wants to do anything to slow down Evans and show the Panthers they were right to make the trade.