Panthers Going for 3rd Straight at the Bank
by Sharon Thorsland
The Panthers are looking to stay undefeated at home as they welcome the Dallas Cowboys to Bank of America stadium. That will be no small task, though – the Cowboys boast the NFL’s number one offense today, averaging over 406 yards and 30 points per game. In spite of that potent offense, the Cowboys are just 2-2-1 on the season, coming off a win over the Jets last week. That’s mainly because their defense is awful – they rank dead last in the league allowing 412 yards and nearly 31 points per game.
Pro Bowl quarterback Dak Prescott runs the offense and he’s having a great year. The veteran is averaging 272 passing yards per game and has thrown 10 touchdowns with three interceptions. Top receiver CeeDee Lamb has been out with an ankle sprain, but the Cowboys still have plenty of guys who can stretch the field with Ryan Flournoy, Kavontae Turpin and former Steeler George Pickens all averaging over 15 yards a catch. Tight end Jake Ferguson has become Prescott’s favorite target, with 41 catches, three of them touchdowns. And look out for former Tar Heel standout Javonte Williams – the running back ranks third in the NFL with 447 rushing yards and has five touchdowns. The Panthers defense will have all they can handle with this group, but they have been improving every week and now rank 12th in the NFL in total defense.
Dallas has been struggling all season across the entire defense. They’ve got a new defensive coordinator in former Bears head coach Matt Eberflus, and he’s still working out the kinks in this group. Not to mention the Cowboys lost their best defensive player All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons demanded a trade and ended up with the Packers. The secondary is banged up, with star cornerbacks Trevon Diggs dealing with a knee injury and Daron Bland a foot injury. Safety Donovan Wilson has the team’s lone interception. With Parsons gone, the Cowboys start 11-year veteran Dante Fowler Jr. on the edge, he teams James Houston, who leads the team with 3.5 sacks and has a forced fumble. Longtime Packer Kenny Clark starts at defensive tackle. “You’ve got lot of experience in Clark,” said Panthers offensive lineman Brady Christiansen. “The ends are great, they fly, great rush packages. We’ve got to be on our A game to have success against them.”
This is the third straight season these teams have faced off at Bank of America stadium, where the Cowboys have had a lot of success – the Panthers are just 1-7 at home in the regular season and 5-12 overall against the Cowboys. But they’re riding a lot of momentum after their come from behind win over the Dolphins and are confident they can keep it going. “It’s important for us to come out and start fast,” said coach Dave Canales. “And also, to maintain and finish drives and put it all together!
