First-year Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales faces by far the toughest test of his short NFL career to date.
The Kansas City Chiefs' pairing of Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid will likely both have both have busts in Canton one day. The prospect of facing them in just your 11th game as an NFL head coach is a daunting one.
However, that is the test facing Canales and his Panthers team on Sunday. Kansas City is an overwhelming favorite, which shows just what Vegas thinks of this matchup. With the Chiefs coming off a crucial loss to the Buffalo Bills, they will be out to remind the NFL world of their prowess as one of the league’s best.
There is a path to victory for the Panthers. It's not a straightforward one, but it's a path nonetheless.
Creating turnovers is key. Mahomes leads the NFL with 11 interceptions so far this season. After picking off New York Giants signal-caller Daniel Jones twice in Munich, they must find a way to do the same in Week 12 at Bank of America Stadium.
On the offensive side of the ball, it’s time for Canales to trust Bryce Young and open up the playbook. The return of veteran wide receiver Adam Thielen should help alleviate the pressure in the short-to-intermediate game. However, finding explosive plays downfield will go a long way to helping Carolina pull off a shock victory.
Without further ado, let’s get into four bold predictions for the Panthers' clash with the two-time defending Super Bowl champions.
Bold Carolina Panthers predictions vs. the Chiefs in Week 12
Chuba Hubbard becomes the first 100-yard rusher vs. Chiefs since Week 1
For a team that builds its philosophy on running the ball often, facing the Kansas City Chiefs and their elite run defense is not an enticing prospect. This unit is one of the league's best under veteran defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, giving up just 85.3 rushing yards per game on average, which is good for third-best NFL-wide.
They have not allowed an opposition player to rush for 100 yards since the season opener when Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson ran for 122 yards. In the same game, they held All-Pro running back Derrick Henry to just 46 yards rushing.
In the 10 games that have followed, Henry has rushed for 1,139 yards. This is a fantastic example of how difficult it is to gain yards on the ground versus Kansas City.
It’s fair to argue Chuba Hubbard is the best running back Kansas City has faced since Henry in Week 1. Coming off a career day in Munich, expect the former fourth-round pick to continue his hot streak and break the Chiefs' record of nine-straight games without conceding a 100-yard rusher.
Hubbard is in the midst of a career year. A big game here would take him to the brink of his first 1,000-yard rushing season, further justifying the decision by Carolina Panthers general manager Dan Morgan to give the Oklahoma State product a deserved extension.
The Panthers must lean on Hubbard early and often to take the pressure off second-year quarterback Bryce Young. Another dominant outing from the backfield force will go some way to giving Carolina the best chance at victory.
Bryce Young outperforms Patrick Mahomes
This is a huge test for Bryce Young, likely the toughest of his short NFL career to date. Going against an Andy Reid-led team would torment even the most level-headed of veteran quarterbacks, not to mention a defense with one of the league’s better coordinators at the helm.
Dave Canales has still insisted the Carolina Panthers' starting signal-caller situation will be evaluated on a week-to-week basis. This gives the impression that the head coach is looking for an excuse to turn back to Andy Dalton. Young must make sure he provides no reason to do so.
This starts with a big game on Sunday against the reigning Super Bowl champions. Not exactly the easiest proposition, but one that Young must embrace fully to build further confidence.
On the other side of things, Patrick Mahomes has been far from his best through 10 games. However, there are plenty of mitigating circumstances behind his production dip in 2024.
Injuries in the wide receiver room and a slight regression from Travis Kelce are two examples, but the signal-caller isn't one to make excuses. Mahomes has been far from his brilliant best with 2,404 passing yards, 15 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. These aren't bad numbers by any means, but the former first-round pick is held to a different standard than most after a phenomenal career to date.
This Panthers defense is still going through complications. But as they slowly get healthy, we have seen signs of life - albeit against Derek Carr and Daniel Jones.
Mahomes surprisingly leads the league with 11 interceptions so far this season. If those in the Panthers’ secondary can secure takeaways to give the offense good field positions, who knows what can happen when push comes to shove?
Young has the opportunity to make a huge statement here. What bigger statement than outperforming the former NFL MVP?
Carolina Panthers hold Travis Kelce to under 50 receiving yards
One peculiar aspect of the Kansas City Chiefs season has been the regression from typically prolific tight end Travis Kelce.
Through 10 games, Kelce is on pace for just 862 receiving yards. This would be the joint career low for the future Pro Football Hall of Famer and the first time he’d fail to eclipse 900 yards since 2015.
Similar to Patrick Mahomes, his production is not bad by any means. The Carolina Panthers would kill for a tight end to have 502 receiving yards in a season, let alone through 10 games. But again as with his quarterback, the former Cincinnati Bearcat is held to a different standard than his peers and he has failed to reach the heights of previous seasons.
After stringing together his best stretch of the season in the three contests before the clash with the Buffalo Bills, Kelce was a complete non-factor at Highmark Stadium with just two receptions for eight receiving yards. With the lack of talent in the Chiefs wide receiver room outside DeAndre Hopkins, not having his most dependable pass-catcher performing as expected can only be a detriment to Mahomes.
The Panthers will be hoping to hold Kelce in check similar to Buffalo. Expect Andy Reid to move him across the field, lining him up in a variety of matchups. This could mean multiple Carolina defenders will need to cover the four-time All-Pro.
The prospect of Kelce matching up with Jaycee Horn is a tantalizing one. That could leave Ejiro Evero's secondary exposed to the blazing speed of Xavier Worthy or the savvy separation skills of Hopkins. It's a tricky conundrum the defensive coordinator must solve effectively.
For the Panthers to have any chance of success in Week 12 at Bank of America Stadium, keeping Kelce locked up is vital. This would force Mahomes to throw to other receivers who are less talented.
Carolina Panthers shock the NFL world with a win
This would easily be the biggest shock in the league this season if the Carolina Panthers somehow pull a win off. That's not up for debate - the NFL would be shaken to its foundations.
Despite this being a Panthers home game, expect to see a sea of red in the stands on Sunday at Bank of America Stadium. This has been a familiar occurrence for Carolina when they face historic franchises in recent years. It's a damning indictment on the ownership of David Tepper.
Despite back-to-back wins, the Panthers are still basement-dwellers when it comes to NFL franchises. The Kansas City Chiefs have become regulars in the Super Bowl and are the complete opposite.
If head coach Dave Canales wants to endear himself to fans, pulling off a shock win here would go a long way to doing so. Whether he can accomplish this or not is another matter.
Despite their 9-1 record, Kansas City has been far from impressive for large portions of the season. It was arguably a surprise that it took until Week 11 for them to register a first loss.
Had it not been for a blocked field goal, Denver Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix would have condemned the Chiefs to defeat the week prior. They certainly aren’t invincible. This is the message Canales must get across to his players.
With a Thanksgiving division matchup to follow, the Chiefs could be looking ahead. This could turn into a potential trap game for the AFC Conference champions - Donte Jackson knows all about that danger.
It's a tall order of course, but we’ve seen signs of life in this Panthers team over the past two weeks. If Bryce Young wants to cement himself as the starter for the rest of the season and beyond, a win against the Chiefs would go a long way to doing so.