Carolina Panthers vs. Detroit Lions
Even though the Detroit Lions were among the NFL’s bottom-feeders once again in 2021, one could not say that the players were not fighting for everything right until the end under head coach Dan Campbell. This young group was bolstered impressively during free agency and the draft, so this is a lively team to watch when competitive action begins.
The Carolina Panthers will no doubt identify this as a winnable game. But it will also be a comparison of sorts regarding how much these rebuilding sides have progressed in a short space of time.
Detroit’s record might have ended up being worse than Carolina’s last season. However, there was little doubt that the Lions provided more encouragement with their level of performance in the face of adversity than the Panthers managed to put together.
One thing that played a leading role in Matt Rhule’s failing to attain any sort of progress last season was disappointing efforts against teams they had a good chance of beating. Their 3-0 start brought delusions of grandeur and this was swiftly followed by a cataclysmic run of results that left the direction of the franchise hanging in the balance.
Beating the Lions might not seem like much. But it would prove that the Panthers have more ruthlessness within the roster than was evident in 2021.