Panthers Kick Off New Era vs. Raiders

© Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports
Photo credit © Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

It's a new era in Carolina, where the Panthers take on the Las Vegas Raiders Sunday at Bank of America stadium.  Kick-off is set for 1:00 on WBT with pregame action starting at 10 am. 

No doubt this will be a season opener unlike any other – there will be no fans in the stands, lots of masks on the sidelines, and plenty of new faces, starting with head coach Matt Rhule, who's making his debut as an NFL head coach. 

“I'll certainly be excited to go out there,” said Rhule. “This is what I love to do...I want our players to go out and play free and enjoy it, and go play our best football.”

This Panthers team looks a lot different than a year ago, with over half of the roster overhauled in the off-season.  There will be a lot of rookies and young guys taking the field today, especially on defense. 

They'll be challenged by the Raiders and their talented offense, which is led by veteran quarterback Derek Carr.  He's got a dangerous new target in rookie receiver Henry Ruggs III.

The speedster out of Alabama joins a group that already includes former Clemson standout Hunter Renfrow and tight ends Darren Waller and Jason Witten.  And then there's running back Josh Jacobs. The 2nd year player is one of the best young backs in the league, he racked up 1150 yards and 7 touchdowns last season.

“He's a tough runner, he runs angry,” said Panther linebacker and former Raider Tahir Whitehead.  “We're gonna have to gang tackle him, no arm tackle's gonna bring him down.  He's a downhill, one-cut runner and he's looking to get to the end zone.”

On top of all of those weapons, the Raiders also boast one of the best offensive lines in the game, anchored by Pro Bowlers Rodney Hudson and Richie Incognito. They'll present quite the challenge for the two rookie starters on the Panther defensive line.

The good news is, the Panthers have one of the most dynamic offensive players in the NFL in Christian McCaffrey. 

The star running back is looking to build on last season's campaign which saw him lead the league in total yards and touchdowns. 

He and the Panthers will face a Raiders defense that looks much improved on paper after adding several new faces this offseason, including former Rams All-Pro linebacker Corey Littleton and former Cowboys defensive tackle Maliek Collins. 

They join a front seven that features a pair of outstanding defensive ends in Clelin Ferrell and Maxx Crosby, who had 10 sacks last season.  The Raiders secondary is young, though, with a pair of second-year players and a rookie starting on the back end. 

They'll have their hands full with Curtis Samuel, DJ Moore and the Panthers other speedy receivers.

So what is this Panther team going to look like?  With no preseason games, no one really knows.  So can they usher in the Matt Rhule era with a win?  Whitehead thinks so. 

“At the end of the day, it's going to come down to whether or not we focus in on the details and we don't beat ourselves.  As long as we handle our end, we're gonna be hard to beat.”