3 reasons the Carolina Panthers will win vs. the Bengals in Week 4
Carolina Panthers defense will contain Joe Burrow
Despite his team starting the season off 0-3, Joe Burrow has played pretty well. He has the seventh most passing yards in the league with 746 and is tied for fifth in touchdown passes with five. The former No. 1 pick hasn’t thrown an interception and has only lost the football once.
Needless to say, the Carolina Panthers will need to do their best to throw Burrow off his game and prevent him from having his way in the passing game. They have been pretty steady against the pass defensively, holding teams to an average of about 209 passing yards per game.
The Cincinnati Bengals' offense has the fifth-fewest rushing yards in the NFL going into Week 4, allowing Panthers defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero to prioritize limiting their passing game. Burrow has been sacked eight times in three games and his starting right tackle Trent Brown suffered a season-ending knee injury during Monday Night Football versus the Washington Commanders.
Carolina's defense should be able to get in the backfield and force Burrow to take some sacks or make some costly mistakes.
The good news for Panthers fans is that Jaycee Horn is playing at a high level to start the season. He held Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams to just 40 receiving yards in Week 3. The former first-round pick will presumably be matched up against one of the best wideouts in the NFL, Ja’Marr Chase.
Chase hasn’t quite got going fully, accumulating 16 receptions for 215 receiving yards and two touchdowns in the team's first three games. Horn will have his hands full. But if he’s able to neutralize the LSU product, the Panthers should be in good hands.
If the Panthers' defense can prevent Burrow from having a big day on the road, they will have a great chance to get their first win at Bank of America Stadium this season.