NFL Week 1 Game Preview: Carolina Panthers vs New York Jets

First Things First

The NFC South is one of the most competitive divisions in this year's divisional gauntlet. The Carolina Panthers look to be a team who can compete for the top spot in the league this year and it comes with many new faces in the fold. Luckily, their week one matchup comes against another team that not only has a young quarterback but an almost brand new roster.

Newly acquired QB Sam Darnold is young, talented, and still unproven. His greatest asset after his arm is his youth. Despite being in his fourth year, Darnold is still seen as a very young Quarterback trying his best to make a name for himself. Everyone knows that Darnold is talented, but we have not yet seen him take the next step to living up to the hype.

His 2020 season in New York did not look good. In 12 starts, Darnold threw 9 touchdowns and threw 11 interceptions to go with it. His completion percentage and quarterback ratings were less than stellar. Although it is understood that the New York Jets have not been a good team for some time now, being considered a franchise quarterback is the expectation for Darnold and his performance against his former team may answer some questions for fans.

The New York Jets rookie Quarterback Zach Wilson is also young so there is not much expectation for him in his first game, however, critics will be waiting to see if he can perform better than Sam Darnold in his rookie year.

X-Factors

Dynamic playmaker and bell-cow back Christian McCaffrey is finally back in action as he missed nearly the entire 2020 season with a shoulder, ankle, and quad injury. McCaffrey makes the entire Panthers organization go when he is healthy. Prior to the unlucky 2020 season, McCaffrey had back-to-back seasons with 1,000 rushing yards and 100 receptions. This type of production is at the top of the league for running backs and the only back that comes close to this type of production in multiple facets is Saints ball carrier, Alvin Kamara.

The ability to give different looks on offense will be the Panthers biggest advantage on offense, but the real strength of the Panthers is on the defensive side of the ball. The Panthers defense is one of the youngest and most talented groups in the league. First-round Cornerback Jaycee Horn and veteran cornerback Donte Jackson are stellar corners that command respect. Despite Horn being in his first year, he is expected to be one of the most dominant corners in the league and after a standout camp, he can surely shut down an entire side of the field.

Safety Jeremy Chinn and OLB Shaq Thompson are a superior duo in the back end. The two defenders are fast, physical and get sideline to sideline. Here you can see how elite their ball tracking ability is in the run and how much ground they cover. Zach Wilson and the offense will have difficulty trying to move the ball without spreading the field and without Jamison Crowder due to injury, the Jets will have to find another answer offensively. Potentially with receiver Corey Davis and Rookie Elijah Moore.

Prediction

With the Panthers defense having the edge over a young Jets offense and Christian McCaffrey returning to action, the Jets will have their hands full this week. The Panthers are the more experienced team with a much more complete roster. In this non-divisional contest, I predict that the Panthers will come out on top in a decisive contest. The Jets will surely make some exciting plays with talented rookie QB Zach Wilson, but the lack of experience will be the downfall.

Carolina Panthers Win, 28-14