Panthers going for 4th Straight Win!

by Sharon Thorsland

The Panthers return home Sunday riding a three-game win streak. They welcome a formidable foe to Bank of America Stadium as the Buffalo Bills and reigning MVP Josh Allen come to town. The Bills boast one of the most potent offenses in the NFL, ranking third in the league averaging 378 yards and nearly 28 points per game. Their bread and butter is the run game – they’re number one in the league picking up 151 yards per game. Most of those come compliments of fourth year running back James Cook. He ranks 2nd in the NFL with 532 rushing yards and five touchdowns. But quarterback Josh Allen also contributes to the ground game, he has 254 rushing yards and three touchdowns. He’s also thrown for nearly 1400 yards and 11 more scores. His top target is tight end Dalton Kincaid, although former Panthers receiver Curtis Samuel is expected back this week.

The Bills defense is really good against the pass and really bad against the run. All-Pro cornerback Tre’Davious White anchors a secondary that allows just 167 passing yards per game, that’s 2nd in the NFL. The run defense is the exact opposite – the Bills allow over 156 rushing yards per game; that’s 2nd to last in the league. That’s good news for the Panthers offense which has found its stride the past few weeks thanks to Rico Dowdle and an outstanding rushing attack. But the Panthers also have a change at quarterback this week, with veteran Andy Dalton replacing the injured Bryce Young.

This is just the ninth matchup between these teams – the Bills have the upper hand in the series leading it six games to two. They’ve also had an extra week to prepare for this one, and are undefeated coming off a bye under coach Sean McDermott. But after three straight wins, this Panthers team has a lot of confidence and expects to make it four in a row.