Following a strong defensive effort to secure a win in the opener against the Jaguars, the Panthers will take on the Houston Texans in Charlotte. And we should expect another ugly one. The Houston Texans quarterback situation is apparently up in the air as head coach Bill O'Brien will not announce a starter at quarterback between Brian Hoyer and Ryan Mallett. They also are still trying to find their run game with Arian Foster out for the next few weeks with a groin injury. The offense is definitely a concern, but their defense (like the Panthers) is a very strong unit lead by a stout defensive line. This is going to be the primary concern for the Panthers offense looking to establish a consistent attack.
JJ Watt vs. Ryan Kalil, Trai Turner, Mike Remmers
I name three guys because at times last week it took literally three Kansas City players to block JJ Watt. He's a freak, and he could very easily take over this game and force the Panthers to alter their game plan. While I fully expect the team to run away from Watt and put extra blockers on him, his performance is likely the biggest key to whether the Panthers win or lose this game.
The Panthers struggled mightily to get the run game going against a Jaguars defense that was missing two starters in the front seven. With Vince Wilfork, Whitney Mercilus, Brian Cushing, and Jadeveon Clowney lining up alongside Watt, the Panthers simply cannot afford to devote too many people to blocking JJ Watt, whether it be on passing or running situations. I am hopeful that Remmers and Turner paired with chipping tight ends can at least keep Watt contained, I am doubtful that this matchup goes in the Panthers favor. The team needs to be able to get Olsen and/or Dickson out in the passing game since the wide receivers still haven't shown they can make the plays on their own.
Cam Newton vs. Brian Cushing
In lieu of the previously stated matchup, there's a very strong chance Cam Newton ends up running quite a bit on Sunday. Cam rushed with the ball 12 times on Sunday (14 if you want to include kneel downs), it is clear that the team is going to attempt to run the ball more since the passing game is still a work in progress. Cam traditionally hasn't done too well against 3-4 defenses, and that's mainly because they often devote one of their inside linebackers to trailing Cam. Brian Cushing has the speed to trail Cam while Clowney and Watt rush him. Look for designed runs to help take pressure off Stewart, and I wouldn't be surprised to see more zone read looks as well.
Josh Norman vs. DeAndre Hopkins
While it's only one game, Josh Norman seems to be every bit the player he thinks he is. He held Jacksonville wide receiver Allen Robinson to just one catch, and responded well to getting beat by Allen Hurns by taking an interception on a jumped route to the house. He also did a great job of utilizing the "Peanut Punch" to force a fumble and secure another turnover for this defense. The turnover/field position game is going to be a deciding factor in this game as both teams sport elite defenses with mediocre offenses.
Hopkins was a bright spot for the Texans last week, hauling in 9 catches for 98 yards and two touchdowns. Josh Norman will be far more of a challenge than Marcus Peters (rookie) and Phillip Gaines (just 6 starts over two years). and by the same token Hopkins is more polished and experienced than Allen Robinson. I'm really excited to see how Norman plays against Hopkins.
Alfred Blue/Jonathan Grimes vs. Luke Kuechly?
The Texans are still missing one of their top offensive weapons in Arian Foster. Normally, this be easy pickings for a stout front seven fueled by a dynamic linebacker group, but suddenly the status of the captain of the defense is in question. Kuechly is in concussion protocol that kept him out of the second half of the first week. Kuechly's departure fueled an excellent response from the defense, shutting out the Jags for the remainder of the game. Honestly, if I had gotten up and missed the play that took him out, without checking Twitter or social media, I probably wouldn't have even noticed that Kuechly was out (and that's not meant to be a racial statement). AJ Klein filled in extremely well and the defense rallied around him. Thomas Davis also stepped up with an interception.
The Texans have always been a traditionally run heavy squad, healthy Foster or not. With the current questions at QB they will try to get the running game established. It's possible Kuechly makes it out there this week, but it's a step by step process in the NFL's concussion protocol, this is something to monitor for the remainder of the week. It is good to know that the Panthers have a backup plan should he not make it however.