Michael Oher vs. Greg Hardy
This one's personal.
Forget about the 2013 season, when the Panthers were forced to make an impossible PR decision. I don't even want to get into the domestic violence side of it, the bottom line is Greg Hardy has been a prick ever since the Panthers let him walk. Whether you follow him on Twitter or read his quotes up until now, there's an apparent disrespect for the Carolina Panthers. There's definitely bitterness there and I'd personally love to see Michael Oher bury Greg Hardy a few times.
Greg Hardy is still one of the best pass rushers in the league, and regardless of his vanilla "nameless, faceless opponent" (which actually wasn't supposed to be derogatory) comment, I'm confident that he's going to come for blood this week against his former team. Michael Oher has proven to be a bit more than a stop gap commodity this season, being part of a surprising offensive line that has kept the offense chugging along. The two guys are former high school and college teammates who know each other pretty well. Should prove to be a fun one to watch as they go at it once again.
Devin Funchess vs. Byron Jones
Funchess has seen an uptick in targets the last few weeks, and has responded with 9 receptions for 176 yards and two TDs. Not bad for a rookie wide receiver right? This week he could once again snag a start with Philly Brown still nursing a shoulder injury, but even if Brown plays Funchess has proven he needs to see the ball more. He provides a physical mismatch that currently only Greg Olsen provides for this offense. The receiving core really compliments one another with the shifty speed guys in Ted Ginn and Brown and the big targets in Funchess and Olsen.
Morris Claiborne hasn't practiced all week, and appears to be on course to miss the game, so Funchess should see a lot of fellow rookie Byron Jones. Jones has started 5 games for the Cowboys this year, and has logged 6 PBU's in that span. He's got decent size for a cornerback, but Funchess has got him beat in the size department by about 4 inches. This should be a good evaluation game for both teams as two of their higher draft pick rookies face off.
Josh Norman vs. Dez Bryant
Another game, another star wide receiver.
Norman's shut down nearly every receiver he's lined up on this year. Last week the Panthers made the mistake of not shadowing Desean Jackson and got burned for it on a long touchdown pass. They quickly adjusted and kept Jackson quiet the rest of the afternoon. Norman's been one of if not THE best corners in football this year, and he'll be tested this week. I have no doubt Norman will be shadowing Bryant.
Dez finally has his QB back in the fold, and responded with his second touchdown of the year. Now that Bryant and Romo are both healthy, they will look to establish a rhythm once again. Bryant and the ever fiery Josh Norman will get scrappy this weekend.
Doug Free vs. Charles Johnson
The Dallas Cowboys have one of the best offensive lines in football. The Panthers field one of the top front sevens in football, and on Sunday they will field their strongest unit of the entire season. Charles Johnson was reactivated yesterday as expected, Kony Ealy is currently on a four sack streak, Mario Addison and Ryan Delaire both have made an impact as situational pass rushers, Kawann Short is on his way to a payday, and all three of the Panthers starting linebackers are healthy. The original group of starters from week one will take the field, along with the added bonus of Jared Allen. This will be the first time Charles Johnson and Jared Allen will play on the same defense, and we should see a heavy rotation to keep the line fresh. This one will be a slugfest in the trenches.