WEEK 4 PREVIEW: Carolina Panthers vs Arizona Cardinals

An in-depth look at the Panthers' week four matchup

Week 4

Carolina (1-2) vs Arizona (2-1)

Bank of America Stadium - Charlotte, NC

Kickoff: 1 p.m. EST

Spread: Cardinals -3.5

What to expect: Panthers Offense

Last week, the Panthers had to play without running back Christian McCaffrey (ankle) for the first time since he entered the league. Despite not having him in the lineup, the Panthers were still able to move the ball rather efficiently, but really struggled in the red zone as Joey Slye was called on for five field goals.

The offense should look very similar to last week and you can continue to expect offensive coordinator Joe Brady to use Curtis Samuel in the backfield at times and a variety of other ways to help compensate for the loss of McCaffrey.

With the Cardinals' secondary being so good, I don't think you're going to see Carolina take many shots down the field. They will probably try to slice and dice this defense with a bunch of underneath routes, quick slants, and screens. This will also help Teddy Bridgewater stay clean in the pocket as well.

What to expect: Cardinals Defense

Arizona has a pretty stingy defense ranking 8th in passing yards allowed per game (224.7) and 12th in rushing yards allowed per game (110). 

Defensive coordinator Vance Joseph is one of the most brilliant defensive minds in the NFL and is very creative with how he brings blitzes and will show a lot of looks. I would consider him a pretty aggressive play caller and he likes to have his defense go and get after the quarterback. The Cardinals average 3.7 sacks per game, which is good for 5th best in the league. They have a very active front seven and it all starts with the two stalwarts in the middle, Corey Peters and Jordan Phillips, who have combined for four sacks in the first three games. 

The backend is a very experienced group and quite honestly, could be the best secondary the Panthers will have faced thus far. Patrick Peterson and Dre Kirkpatrick are two very solid corners that are going to challenge the Panthers' young receiving corps. Oh yeah, and you can't forget about Budda Baker, who might just be one of the top two safeties in football.

What to expect: Panthers defense

Phil Snow's defense played their best game a week ago against the Chargers and were very active. They recovered three fumbles and also recorded an interception off of rookie quarterback Justin Herbert. If those guys fly around and play at that level again this week, they'll have a chance to win. With that said, corners Rasul Douglas, Donte Jackson, and Troy Pride Jr. are going to have to play their best football in an attempt to slow down the Cardinals' passing attack.

What to expect: Cardinals offense

The Panthers' defense will be facing their toughest challenge yet this Sunday when they have to try and slow down the lethal offensive attack of the Cardinals led by QB Kyler Murray. You might think that with DeAndre Hopkins, Larry Fitzgerald, Andy Isabella, and Christian Kirk that this would be a pass heavy offense - think again. Kliff Kingsbury likes to be balanced and that's exactly what they are. Through the first three weeks of the season, the Cardinals rank 7th in rushing (149.7 ypg) and 13th in passing (256.7 ypg). 

Running back Kenyan Drake is off to a good start and as we have seen the last three weeks, the Panthers have struggled to slow down running backs - especially ones who can be weapon in the passing game. The focus is always going to be on stopping the run, but in this game, I wouldn't be the slightest bit shocked if Carolina went with a light box and made sure to pad the secondary to prevent the big plays down field to Hopkins. Carolina's secondary is extremely young and inexperienced and will need all the help they can get trying to contain arguably the best wide receiver in the NFL.

Key players to watch (ARI): QB's are excluded

Offense: RB Kenyan Drake, WR DeAndre Hopkins, WR Larry Fitzgerald

Defense: LB De'Vondre Campbell, CB Patrick Peterson, S Budda Baker

Prediction: Cardinals 31-23

This is a tough matchup for the Panthers, especially defensively. I don't know that the Panthers will be able to keep pace with the Cardinals and I could see Arizona jumping out to a two score lead early, which forces Carolina to play at a faster pace than they would like.

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