The Carolina Panthers are hot right now as they have won two games in a row and four of their last five.  In their last two games, they have outscored their opponents 76-29!  The Saints have won seven games in a row.  They need a win and a 49ers loss to the Rams to secure the #2 seed in the NFC for the playoffs.  I don’t see the Niners losing to the Rams.  The Saints won the first meeting between these teams 30-27 at Carolina.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Panthers have the ball:  The Panthers are going to be all systems go against the Saints this weekend.  I look for them to be pretty balanced offensively.  Jonathan Stewart, DeAngelo Williams and Cam Newton will likely all take shots at a Saints’ D that is giving up 104.9 yards rushing per game, but 4.9 yards per carry so far this year.  The Saints are giving up 268.0 yards passing per game this year, so look for Cam Newton to attack them down the field with WRs Steve Smith and Brandon LaFell.  Look for TEs Jeremy Shockey and Greg Olsen to get a lot of work on the underneath stuff.

When the Saints have the ball:  The Saints are likely going to be scoreboard watching, which will determine how long they play their regulars. If the 49ers jump on the Rams early in the game, Drew Brees likely won’t play that long in this game with Chase Daniel replacing him at QB.  If the Rams keep it close, Brees could play deep into this game….but that’s not too likely.  The Saints will also likely get Darren Sproles and Pierre Thomas work early in this game with Chris Ivory taking over at some point.  Don’t be surprised to see Marques Colston, Jimmy Graham and Lance Moore getting a quick hook.

PREDICTION:  PANTHERS 31, SAINTS 23

The Panthers are rolling now as they have won three of their last four games.  Just three weeks ago, they thumped the Buccaneers 38-19 at Tampa.  The Buccaneers have lost 8 games in a row and they have not played a close game in the last 3 weeks.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Panthers have the ball:  The Panthers are going to likely run a balanced offense against the Bucs tomorrow.  Johnathan Stewart, DeAngelo Williams and Cam Newton are going to be busy tomorrow against a Bucs’ D that is allowing 141.1 yards rushing per game and 4.6 yards per carry.  The Bucs don’t have a good pass rush, so Cam Newton is going to have time to throw the ball.  Newton is going to be looking for WR Steve Smith a lot tomorrow as the Bucs don’t really have anyone capable of covering him.

When the Buccaneers have the ball:  Josh Freeman has a sore shoulder, so the Panthers will likely dare him to throw the long ball.  I see most of the defense lining up within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage tomorrow.  The Panthers must be ready to stop LeGarrette Blount tomorrow and he’s a load to bring down.  But when the Bucs get behind they abandon the running game.  Josh Freeman has 18 interceptions and he has already lost 3 fumbles this year, so the Panthers are likely to make some big plays on D tomorrow.

PREDICTION:  PANTHERS 34, BUCCANEERS 10

The Panthers are playing well lately as they have won two of their last three games.  The Texans are red hot right now as they have won seven games in a row.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Panthers have the ball:  For some reason, the Panthers would rather throw the ball than give it to their best players on the ground.  The Panthers should run the ball against the Texans, who are giving up 91.5 yards rushing per game, but 4.1 yards per carry.  DeAngelo Williams, Jonathan Stewart and Cam Newton have a good shot to find running room this weekend.  Opposing QBs only have a 62.6 QB Rating against the Texans so far this year, and they already have 17 interceptions and 36 sacks.  Cam Newton is going to have to be careful throwing the ball this weekend as the Texans’ are likely going to double cover Steve Smith all day long.

When the Texans have the ball:  The Texans are a run first team.  They are going to give the ball to Arian Foster and Ben Tate a lot against a Panthers’ D that is allowing 128.9 yards rushing per game and 4.5 yards per carry.  The front seven are likely going to have fits trying to deal with the Texans’ RBs this Sunday.  Rookie QB T.J. Yates got the shot last week to win a game on the road and he was impressive against the Bengals.  The Panthers are going to have to get some pressure on Yates, and try to force him into making some mistakes.  TE Owen Daniels and WRs Kevin Walter and Jacoby Jones give Yates some nice targets, but none of them really scare the Panthers much.

PREDICTION:  TEXANS 20, PANTHERS 17

The Panthers have played really well the last two weeks, getting wins over the Colts and Buccaneers on the road.  The Falcons are coming off a tough loss last weekend in Houston, 17-10, which made this a very huge game for them.  The Falcons beat the Panthers earlier this year 31-17 in Atlanta.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Panthers have the ball:  The Panthers are going to try to remain balanced this Sunday against the Falcons.  The Falcons are only giving up 90.0 yards rushing per game and 3.7 yards per carry, so they might be more pass heavy than they have been lately.  DeAngelo Williams, Jonathan Stewart and Cam Newton are going to have to fight for every yard they get this weekend.  The Falcons are giving up 230.5 yards passing per game so far this year, so look for Newton to throw the ball a lot in this game.  The Falcons will likely try to double WR Steve Smith all day long, but I don’t think that will scare the ultra confident Cam Newton.  He has a lot of other options to throw to as six players have at least 28 grabs this year for the Panthers, so look for him to spread the ball around a little bit.

When the Falcons have the ball:  The Falcons are likely going to try to give the rock to Michael Turner 20-25 times this Sunday in an effort to keep the clock running and the Panthers’ offense on the sideline.  The Panthers will have to slow down Turner if they want to win this Sunday.  The Panthers will also have to get after Matt Ryan, or they are going to be in some trouble.  Roddy White, Julio Jones, Harry Douglas and TE Tony Gonzalez gives Matt Ryan a lot of options when he drops back to throw the ball.

PREDICTION:  FALCONS 30, PANTHERS 23

The Panthers have lost three games in a row, but this is a chance to get back on the right track against the Colts.  Still, the Panthers are 0-4 on the road this year, so you never know.  The Colts played decent in their first three home games this year, but they have lost their last two by a combined score of 48-10.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Panthers have the ball:  This game is just what the doctor ordered to get Cam Newton back on the right track.  The Colts don’t rush the QB well anymore (15 sacks), so Newton should have time to throw the ball.  The Colts are giving up 245.0 yards passing per game so far this year and opposing QBs have a sterling 109.7 QB Rating against them.  Newton should have little trouble getting the ball down the field to WR Steve Smith.  He will also be able to spread the ball around to TE Greg Olsen, TE Jeremy Shockey and WR Legedu Naanee too.  Jonathan Stewart, DeAngelo Williams and Cam Newton should have little trouble in moving the ball on the ground against a Colts’ D that is giving up 145.6 yards rushing per game and 4.1 yards per carry.

When the Colts have the ball:  The Colts have only scored 27 points in their last four games, but they have not played a defense as poor as the Panthers in those games.  To me, Curtis Painter is by far the worst starting QB in the NFL right now.  So if I were the Panthers, I would be more concerned with stopping their running game and dare Painter to beat them with his arm.  The Colts have the backs (D0nald Brown and Delone Carter) to run the ball, but they seem to favor tossing the rock as if Peyton Manning were still under center.  The Panthers will likely double Pierre Garcon as he has developed into Painter’s favorite WR.  They will take their chances man to man with Reggie Wayne.

PREDICTION:  PANTHERS 41, COLTS 20

The Carolina Panthers got pasted at home 30-3 last weekend by the Titans, as Cam Newton looked like the rookie that he is.  The Lions also got pasted 37-13 by the Bears in Chicago last weekend.  Neither team has been playing as well as they can lately, so the team that steps up will win this game.  Here is a look at the matchups:

When the Panthers have the ball:  If the Panthers look at the Lions’ game film, they will know that they need to run the ball.  The Lions are giving up 134.4 yards rushing per game and 4.9 yards per carry so far this year.  DeAngelo Williams, Jonathan Stewart and Cam Newton should have plenty of room to run the ball against the Lions this Sunday, and the Panthers need to keep the ball on the ground in this game.  Newton is going to have to be careful when he throws the ball as the Lions have 11 interceptions, and he’s also going to have to get rid of the ball quickly as the Lions already have 26 sacks so far this year.  Still, Newton is going to try to get the ball down the field to WR Steve Smith and on the short stuff over the middle to TEs Greg Olsen and Jeremy Shockey.

When the Lions have the ball:  The Carolina Panthers are going to have to try to get a lot of pressure on Matt Stafford.  If he has time to throw the ball, he’s likely going to have a lot of success throwing the ball this Sunday.  He has a  broken finger on his throwing hand, which could hurt him passing as he did throw four pickoffs last weekend.  Calvin Johnson is one of  the best WRs in the NFL, so they are going to have to double cover him all day long…and that might not even be enough to stop him.  Rookie WR Titus Young, WR Nate Burleson and TEs Brandon Pettigrew and Tony Scheffler give Stafford a lot of weapons to throw to.  Maurice Morris and Keiland Williams will get a few carries each in this game in an effort to keep the Panthers’ D honest.

PREDICTION:  LIONS 28, PANTHERS 23

The Carolina Panthers are well rested as they are coming off of their bye week.  They have also played much better at home (2-3) this year and that bodes well for them this weekend.  The Titans are only 1-2 on the road this year and they have lost three of their last four games, so they need this game in the worst way.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Panthers have the ball:  The Titans don’t have much of a pass rush and they are giving up 231.5 yards passing per game so far this year, so expect an air assault out of Cam Newton.  Steve Smith could have a monster game this weekend, which would open things underneath for Jeremy Shockey and Greg Olsen.  The Panthers also should be able to run the ball well with Cam Newton, DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart taking aim at the Titans’ D which is allowing 126.8 yards rushing per game and 4.2 yards rushing per game.

When the Titans have the ball:  The Titans are going to try to get Chris Johnson going this weekend and he should be the first focus of the D.  They will need to get after Matt Hasselbeck too, because if he has time to throw the ball, the Panthers’ secondary could be in for a long day.  WRs Nate Washington, Damian Williams, Lavelle Hawkins and TE Jared Cook are not gamebreakers, but they are a solid bunch of targets for Matt Hasselbeck.

PREDICTION:  PANTHERS 27, TITANS 23

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 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

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