Getting the ball into the end zone is the biggest goal in football. An unexpected touchdown has the ability to make people spill drinks and dump nachos and hug total strangers. Field goals just can't compare.
Sunday's game between Detroit and Carolina will ultimately be decided by how often the Lions get the ball into the end zone. If it happens more than twice, I think Detroit wins this game. If it's two TDs or less for the Lions -- no matter how many field goals they achieve -- I think the Panthers will go to 2-0.
The Panthers only allowed 21 touchdowns in all of 2013, which was a team record and also led the NFL in that category. It was the first time the Panthers had ever been No.1 in TDs allowed. That's an average of only 1.3 per game allowed, and that's pretty remarkable.
But Detroit has one of the NFL's best offenses. The Lions hit paydirt four times in their 35-14 whipping of the New York Giants Monday night. In 2011, the last time Carolina and Detroit played, Detroit scored seven TDs (tied for the most the Panthers have ever given up in a single game) in a 49-35 whipping of the Panthers.
-- Matthew Stafford is one of football's best young quarterbacks, and he doesn't just throw the ball to Calvin Johnson, the NFL's best receiver. I have always thought Golden Tate was an underrated wideout -- now Detroit has him, too, and he was targeted six times in Week 1. Tate caught all six of them, for 93 yards.
-- With quarterback Cam Newton returning to action this weekend, I wonder how many high balls he will throw early. Like Brett Favre and Jake Delhomme, Newton has a tendency to get so wound up early that he overthrows the ball. An early interception would be a difficult thing for Newton to overcome. But if he can avoid that, there is a chance for big numbers Sunday. The Lions' secondary is mediocre.
-- It has been a weird week for the Panthers, but there is an urgency to September for them and they know it. The schedule only gets tougher in October. I am 1-0 on Panthers' game-by-game picks so far this season, and I think they will rise to the occasion Sunday. My pick: Carolina 20, Detroit 17.
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9 years ago
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15 comments:
Not to be a hater, but your prediction suggest the Lions got in the endzone twice, hence contradicting your premises for them winning the game.
Sorry but More than twice, is not the same as twice.
Eric,
Scott said he believes if the Lions score more than (2) touchdowns that the Lions will win. A 20 - 17 score means the Lions scored (2) touchdowns and (1) field goal for a total score of 17.
You're way off...I'm a Lions fans and your best defense will be the weather. Cam will be in his first game coming back he hasn't paid 2 solid quarters in the preseason he will be hyped and cocky and will try to over do it yet alone show up his buddy Nick Fairley and not try to get killed by Mr. Donkey Kong (very childish btw) Panthers have no one to cover Johnson and we now have Tate and the 3 headed TE monster. The worst thing for the panthers is for Bush and Bell to go loose because if they do Panthers will stack the box and its game over in the secondary. Panthers will win if the lions kill themselves with penalties and Stafford becomes the erratic Stafford of last year.. 41-16 Lions
Anonymous - 41 points on the road against our defense, really? Please resume taking your meds. Your post is delusional at best. Love, your mother.
Panthers Defense is used to seeing explosive offenses. They see Drew Brees and Matt Ryan twice every year. 41 points against that defense at BOA? Are you saying that Detroit's offense is better than the Saints or the Falcons? Panthers win 28-17
@anonymous 10:36: What you don't get is that the Lions don't have a great OLine, including a third stringer at left tackle. Either Hardy or Johnson will eat him up. Stafford will get hit and rattled- a lot. The Lions will also not be able to run the ball- they are weak at RB and the Panthers shut everyone's run down. Finally, the Lions have a weak secondary. They won't be able to cover Kelvin Benjamin (whose as big as Megatron) or Greg Olsen. And the Panthers can run the ball. As big as Donkey Kong and Fairley are, the Lions have struggled against the run in recent years. Panthers win 27-10. Stafford gets sacked 7 times and throws three picks.
Hi Mom,
Sorry I didn't take my pills yesterday. My little Fluffy got out yesterday and I was so upset because I couldn't find her. Bad girl, bad, bad girl! She came home this afternoon, I took my meds and all is well. Thanks mom, I just lost my head a little.
Mr. Lions itz tu bad you can't seek Englush.
Sory abot thu but kickin
Shame on the Panthers' ownership.... cry me a river about domestic violence, but don't sit Hardy..... a game is more important than "doing the right thing".... Good on the Vikings for showing some social conscience.... Shame on you Richardson..... I'm a Panthers fan but I'm embarrassed as much by the ownership that I am by Hardy.
Blood in the water Scott, piling on trying for that Pulitzer. Worthless! I'm putting your autographed book I have on EBay LOL.
Classic band wagoner. Waiting to see if someone from national media calls you for interview, pathetic. Talk about Ray McDonald also then!!!!
Ha! We'll see about your 41-16
We were the second BEST defense in NFL last year. I can't wait to see your number going down with your expectations.
We are going to DESTROY your lions!
Ha! We'll see about your 41-16
Remember we were the second best defense in NFL last year.
Your number will go down with your expectations
We are going to destroy your lions!
We don't have to stack the box. We play people straight up and kick their a$$. Oh and your 3 headed TE situation wouldn't exist if you had a decent one.
who is claiming the lions dont have a good o line, they had a top ten line last year and returned all starters, an injury to the RIGHt tackle is not going to hurt em that bad, they will use their running backs to chip, then send them to the flats where they will be catching balls all day. They have one of the best recieving back tandems in the league. If you think a rookie who "is just as big as Calvin" and has only played one game in the nfl is reliable to have a game like last week again, its because your dreaming. He is still a rookie, he is good but not even on the same planet as Megatron. Cam is 3 weeks removed from a fractured rib, going against one of the best pass rush teams. BTW the last team to call out Suh, the packers, that weekend Aaron Rodgers was tuned up for 7 sacks, and he knows how to get rid of the ball quickly. Oh and for those that think the panthers will run all over detroits defense, they were the 6th ranked defense against the run last year....good luck running all day with an injured and probably not even playing williams. youll be forced to pass and expose cam to hits....and detroits offense is better than both NO/ATL, they run the same scheme NO runs, only they have better athletes...(i.e. Calvin Johnson, Golden Tate) and the saints averaged close to 300 yrds passing and 100 yrds rushing against the Panther last year. If the Lions get clost to those numbers the Panthers will lose. This is not last years Lions team that couldnt close games and shot themselves in the foot, different coaching staf has completely changed the culture there. It should be a good game either way but if you think either team will have a easy day your not in touch with the NFL. It all hinges on wether the Lions offense gets going, if it does it will be a long day for Panthers fans, if it doesnt it will be a long day for Lions fans.
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