The Carolina Panthers are coming off of a historic win against the New Orleans Saints. They were the first team to win a game in the last 20 years while being outgained by 150+ total yards, giving up 150+ rushing yards, and losing the turnover battle.
The Panthers won't care about that. Bryce Young got his first win on the season as the starter and his third of his career. The quarterback played arguably the best game of his career. It was a relatively clean contest, even though he was credited with an interception which was not his fault.
Young made some confident throws, but his stats were dented by a couple of drops from his wide receivers. The signal-caller was only sacked once during the triumph, which eventually led to the Saints firing head coach Dennis Allen.
After the Saints stomped the Panthers in Week 1 and picked up a convincing win against the Dallas Cowboys, they went on a seven-game losing streak. Being defeated by Carolina was the final straw for those in power, who also traded cornerback Marshon Lattimore to the Washington Commanders.
The Panthers will head to Munich, Germany for Week 10 versus New York Giants in a clash of two teams with 2-7 records. To keep their momentum going, here are three things they have to do to give them the best chance.
Reasons the Carolina Panthers will beat NY Giants in Week 10
Carolina Panthers will win the turnover battle
The Carolina Panthers won a game last week against the New Orleans Saints without winning the turnover battle, but doing it in back-to-back weeks seems quite unlikely.
Edge rusher D.J. Wonnum is set to make his Panthers debut on Sunday. He was signed in the offseason after a nice campaign with the Minnesota Vikings where he tallied eight sacks. Carolina is desperate for some pass-rush help and the former Michigan State star could provide a much-needed spark for Ejiro Evero’s defense.
The edge pairing of Wonnum and Jadeveon Clowney could be a massive boost for the Panthers' defense which has generated minimal pass rush so far in 2024. If the duo can get in the Giants backfield and make quarterback Daniel Jones uncomfortable, that would be a big step in the right direction.
Jones hasn’t taken care of the football too well this season. He’s thrown five interceptions and lost two fumbles so far. Opportunities for turnovers will be there if pressure arrives.
If Bryce Young plays confidently like he did last week, that will put the Panthers in line to win the turnover battle. This could play a massive factor in which team wins or loses.
Carolina Panthers ground game dominates
Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales has received a fair amount of criticism in regards to the offense not fully unlocking their potential in the run game. Fans think that he needs to exploit the unit's biggest strength moving forward.
Chuba Hubbard has been on a tear this season. He’s currently fifth in the NFL with 665 rushing and five rushing touchdowns. General manager Dan Morgan rewarded him accordingly, giving the former fourth-round pick a four-year extension worth $33.2 million.
Hubbard has financial security and should be brimming with confidence. He must be a massive part of the game plan for the Panthers in Week 10.
More help is on the way for the Panthers as second-round pick Jonathon Brooks is trending toward making his debut on Sunday. The expectation is not for the Texas product to be the starter all of a sudden. Fans can expect the rookie to receive a few touches to begin his NFL career after missing a year thanks to a torn ACL.
The Panthers' run game is already solid, but the addition of Brooks could morph it into a two-headed monster. This is similar to what Carolina's support witnessed in the late 2000s with DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart.
The Giants' defense struggles against the run. They are allowing opposing offenses to rush for 5.2 yards per carry, which ranks worst in the NFL. They have given up a total of 1,283 rushing yards on the season - fourth worst in the league. That averages out to 143 rushing yards per game.
Needless to say, this would be a great week for Canales to have a signature game to get some big production on the ground. If the Panthers can rush for over 125 yards, their chances of winning will increase exponentially at the Allianz Arena in Munich.
Carolina Panthers OL will protect Bryce Young
As mentioned previously, Bryce Young is coming off of one of his best games in his NFL career. A big key to the Carolina Panthers' success on Sunday will be whether or not his offensive line can keep him upright.
The New York Giants' pass rush is very solid. They have accumulated the most sacks in the NFL with 35. Not to mention you have former Panthers edge rusher Brian Burns now suiting up for the G-Men.
Burns will be motivated to have a good game against the organization that failed to ink him to a long-term deal the last couple of off-seasons. The former first-round pick could be in line for a revenge game if Carolina's protection isn't ready.
If healthy and available, Ikem Ekwonu should take his spot back at left tackle. This would leave Brady Christensen at the center position where he's excelled mightily this season after Austin Corbett's season-ending torn bicep.
The Panthers' offensive line has improved a ton this year. It will be an interesting matchup going up against one of the league's most formidable defensive fronts. Young will see some pressure. How he handles it will play a leading role in the eventual outcome.
When the Giants' defense doesn’t get home on opposing quarterbacks, they have been giving up the highest completion percentage in the entire NFL with 70.8. They also surrender one of the highest yards-per-attempt ratios while only intercepting one pass the whole season.
Protect Young throughout the game and good things will happen. Especially given the improved inner confidence being displayed by the Heisman Trophy winner out of Alabama.
If the Panthers' offensive line can ward off the Giants' pass rush, Young should be able to pick apart the secondary. That would more than likely result in a third victory of the campaign for head coach Dave Canales.