Olindo Mare missed a 31-yard field goal with 26 seconds left in the game, sealing the Panthers’ fate yesterday!  Cam Newton had another sold game as he completed 22 of 35 passes for 290 yards with 3 TD passes and 0 INTs.  He also carried the ball 6 times for 53 yards (8.8 ypc) in this game.  Newton wasn’t perfect though as he did lose two fumbles that were costly.  Jonathan Stewart pitched in with 13 carries for 49 yards (3.8 ypc) and 2 catches for 10 yards (5.0 avg).  DeAngelo Williams only carried the ball 7 times for 26 yards (3.9 ypc) and he caught 2 passes for 13 yards (6.5 avg) in this game.  WR Steve Smith led the way for the Panthers in the passing game and he caught 7 passes for 100 yards (14.3 avg) with 1 TD grab.  Smith also carried the ball 1 time for 12 yards yesterday.  TE Greg Olsen (4 rec, 73 yards, TD), WR Lededu Naanee (5 rec, 49 yards) and TE Jeremy Shockey (1 rec, 1 yard, TD) also pitched in for the Panthers in the passing game yesterday.  The Panthers finished up with 140 yards on 27 carries (5.2 ypc) and they also completed 22 of 35 passes (62.9%) for 265 yards as they had possession of the ball for 27:55.

The Panthers’ D didn’t play too well yesterday.  Safety Charles Godfrey (10 tackles) and CB Captain Munnerlyn (8 tackles, 1 sack, 1 tackle for a loss, 1 QB hit and 1 fumble recovery) led the way for the Panthers on D in this game.  LB Omar Gaither (7 tackles, 1 sack, 1 tackle for a loss and 1 QB hit) and DE Charles Johnson (5 tackles, 1 sack, 2 tackles for a loss and 2 QB hits) also pitched in for the Panthers yesterday.  The Vikings finished up with 132 yards rushing on 33 carries (4.0 ypc) and they also completed 18 of 28 passes (64.3%) for 229 yards.  The Panthers are now 2-6 on the season.

This is going to be an exciting game between two impressive rookie QBs in Cam Newton of the Panthers and Christian Ponder of the Vikings.  The Panthers are 2-2 at home and they gave the Packers and Saints good fights in the losses.  The Vikings are 0-3 on the road where they have been outscored 85-44, but the Vikings had Donovan McNabb under center for those game.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Panthers have the ball:  The Panthers’ O-Line is going to be challenged big time in this game by the Vikings’ front seven.  The Vikings are only giving up 87.9 yards rushing per game and 3.6 yards per carry so far this year and they also have 21 sacks.  So DeAngelo Williams, Jonathan Stewart and Cam Newton are going to have to fight for every yard they get running the ball this Sunday.  If Cam Newton has time to throw the ball, he’s going to have a huge game passing the ball against a Vikings’ D without their starting corners.  Steve Smith should have a HUGE game this Sunday as he continues to be one of the very best WRs in the NFL this year.  Brandon LaFell, Legedu Naanee, Jeremy Shockey and Greg Olsen are also in line to have good games this Sunday.

When the Vikings have the ball:  The Vikings are going to give the ball to Adrian Peterson as many times as he can handle this weekend against a Panthers’ D that is giving up 133.4 yards rushing per game and 4.7 yards per carry.  The Panthers’ first priority has to be trying to stop Peterson and force Christian Ponder to beat them in the air.  Vikings’ QBs have been sacked 18 times and the Panthers will need to get after Ponder to try to force him into making some rookie mistakes.  The Vikings are going to try to attack the Panthers down the field with long passes for Percy Harvin and Michael Jenkins this Sunday.

PREDICTION:  PANTHERS 27, VIKINGS 13

The Panthers use the TEs and RBs a lot in the passing game, but that doesn’t mean they lack in talent at WR.  Veteran Steve Smith is having a huge comeback season for the Panthers this year.  He has already caught 39 passes for 818 yards (21.0 avg) with 3 TD grabs so far this year.  He is definitely going to the Pro Bowl as long as he can stay healthy.  2nd year WR Brandon LaFell is having a solid season for the Panthers.  He has caught 16 passes for 232 yards (14.5 avg) with 2 TD grabs so far this year.  Legedu Naanee has been a decent $3 WR for the Panthers so far this year as he has caught 17 passes for 190 yards (11.2 avg).  Look for this trio to be really productive the rest of the year for the Panthers.

The Carolina Panthers were on fire in the second half offensively when they scored 24 points to run away from the Redskins.  Cam Newton was very solid in this game as he completed 18 of 23 passes for 256 yards with 1 TD pass and 0 INTs.  He also carried the ball 10 times for 59 yards (5.9 ypc) with 1 TD run.  Jonathan Stewart (14 carries, 68 yards, TD) and DeAngelo Williams (10 carries for 35 yards) also pitched in for the Panthers in the running game yesterday.  WR Steve Smith led the way for the Panthers in the passing game yesterday with 7 grabs for 143 yards (20.4 avg).  WR Brandon LaFell (2 rec, 39 yards, TD) and TE Jeremy Shockey (4 rec, 32 yards) also pitched in for the Panthers in the passing game.  The Panthers finished up with 175 yards rushing on 37 carries (4.7 ypc) and they also completed 18 of 23 passes (78.3%) for 232 yards as they had possession of the ball for 35:30.

The defense didn’t play well, but the offense covered for them.  LBs James Anderson (12 tackles, 2 tackles for a loss, 1 sack, 1 pass defensed and 1 QB hit) and Dan Conner (10 tackles) led the way for the Panthers’ D in this game.  CB Chris Gamble (interception) and DT Terrell McClain (fumble recovery) also made big plays for the Panthers in this game.  The Redskins finished up with 92 yards rushing on 23 carries (4.0 ypc) and they also completed 22 of 37 passes (59.5%) for 261 yards in this game.  The Panthers are now 2-5 on the year.

The Carolina Panthers are 1-2 at home this year, but they play pretty well there.  The Redskins are going with John Beck at QB in his first start for them this weekend.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Panthers have the football:  Cam Newton finally looked like a rookie QB last weekend against the Falcons.  To protect him this weekend, the Panthers should run the ball a lot with DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart against a Redskins’ D that is allowing 106.0 yards rushing per game and 4.6 yards per carry.  Establishing a running game early this Sunday would slow the pass rush a little bit (the Redskins have 17 sacks) while allowing the Panthers’ D to stay on the sideline more.  Cam Newton will have to be careful throwing the ball as the Redskins have a pretty solid secondary.  He can’t force the ball to WR Steve Smith, if he’s being double and triple covered this weekend.  Look for TEs Jeremy Shockey and Greg Olsen to make the Redskins pay for doubling Smith.

When the Redskins have the ball:  The Redskins are likely going to come out running the ball to protect John Beck, who is making his first start of the year at QB.  The Panthers are giving up 140.3 yards rushing per game and 4.8 yards per carry so far this year, so Redskins’ RBs Ryan Torain and Tim Hightower are going to try to take advantage of them.  The Panthers need to get a good pass rush on John Beck, as he has never been much of a QB in the NFL.  WR Santana Moss and TE Fred Davis are going to be the Redskins’ top two targets in the passing game, so the Panthers will have to give them special attention.

PREDICTION:  PANTHERS 24, REDSKINS 20

With the RBs the Panthers have on the roster, they should be running the ball a lot more than they are this year.  DeAngelo Williams was re-signed during the off-season, but they aren’t giving him the ball nearly enough.  Williams has played in all six games for the Panthers so far this year and he has carried the ball 58 times for 302 yards (5.2 ypc) with 1 TD run.  He also has caught 8 passes for 48 yards (6.0 avg) in 2011.  Williams has the potential for much more production, if the Panthers just get the ball in his hands.  Jonathan Stewart would be the main man in the running game on most teams, but he’s the #2 guy for the Panthers.  Stewart has played in all six games for the Panthers so far this year and he has carried the ball 44 times for 210 yards (4.8 ypc) with 1 TD run.  He has also caught 21 passes for 210 yards (10.0 avg) this year.  Stewart also has much more to give the Panthers, if they just ask him to give it to them.  Rookie QB Cam Newton likes to take off running when things don’t work out in the passing game.  He has carried the ball 46 times for 210 yards (4.6 ypc) with 6 TD runs so far this year.  The Panthers are averaging 120.8 yards rushing per game and 4.9 yards per carry so far this year.  They have the potential to do much more.

The Panthers have lost 25-year old OT Jeff Otah for the rest of the season due to back and knee injuries.  He has been placed on the Injured Reserve List.  Otah played in 4 games (all starts) for the Panthers this year.  He has played in 29 games (all starts) in his first four years with the Panthers.  The Panthers have re-signed 30-year old G/T Reggie Wells who was with them earlier in the year.  Wells has played in 112 games (91 starts) in his first 9 years in the NFL.

The Falcons scored 17 unanswered points in the 4th quarter to finish off the Panthers today.  Cam Newton finally looked like a rookie today as he completed 21 of 35 passes for 237 yards with 0 TD passes and 3 INTs.  He also carried the ball 6 times for 50 yards (8.3 ypc) with 1 TD run.  Jonathan Stewart was busy in this game as he carried the ball 7 times for 48 yards (6.9 ypc) with 1 TD run and he also caught 3 passes for 24 yards (8.0 avg).  DeAngelo Williams pitched in with 12 carries for 44 yards (3.7 ypc) and 1 catch for 2 yards.  WR Steve Smith (5 rec, 68 yards), TE Jeremy Shockey (4 rec, 60 yards) and TE Greg Olsen (5 rec, 42 yards) led the way for the Panthers in the passing game today.  The Panthers finished up with 142 yards rushing on 25 carries (5.7 ypc) and they also completed 21 of 35 passes (60%) for 226 yards as they had possession of the ball for 29:26.

LBs James Anderson (12 tackles) and Dan Connor (6 tackles) led a so-so effort by the Panthers’ D today.  DE Charles Johnson also had a nice game with 5 tackles, 1 sack, 2 tackles for a loss, 1 pass defensed and 1 QB hit.  The Falcons finished up with 166 yards rushing on 35 carries (4.7 ypc) and they also completed 14 of 22 passes (63.6%) for 159 yards.  The Panthers are now 1-5 on the year.

This is a big game for both teams involved as they try to get back on the right track.  The Panthers have lost two close games in a row by a combined scored of 64-56.  The Falcons have alternated wins and losses every week so far and they lost last weekend.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Panthers have the ball:  I have been preaching to give the ball to DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart more to balance the offense.  But, the Falcons are only giving up 89.2 yards rushing per game and 3.5 yards per carry so far this year.  With that in mind, look for Cam Newton to put the ball up a lot this weekend against a Falcons’ D that is allowing 294.2 yards passing per game so far this year.  WR Steve Smith is in line for a big game this weekend against the Falcons.  Look for Newton to also target Jeremy Shockey, Greg Olsen, Brandon LaFell and Legedu Naanee often in this game.

When the Falcons have the ball:  The Panthers’ D better tighten up the chinstraps this weekend because they are likely going to get a heavy dose of Michael Turner running the ball.  The Panthers are giving up 135.2 yards rushing per game and 4.9 yards per carry so far this year.  The Falcons will be without Julio Jones in this game, so the defense will be able to double cover Roddy White and dare QB Matt Ryan to beat them by throwing the ball to TE Tony Gonzalez and WR Harry Douglas.

PREDICTION:  FALCONS 28, PANTHERS 27

22-year old rookie QB Cam Newton has been very solid for the Panthers so far this year.  He has played in all five games for the Panthers so far this year and he has completed 113 of 194 passes (58.2%) for 1,610 yards with 7 TD passes and 6 INTs (84.3 QB Rating).  He has also carried the ball 40 times for 160 yards (4.0 ypc) with 5 TD runs.  The Panthers are only 1-4 so far this year, but that isn’t Newton’s fault as the defense has really let the team down so far this year.