Dominant performance in recent memory, Panthers out to prove they’re ‘not a fluke’

Some debates are more controversial than others. Who’s the greatest quarterback of all time? The biggest draft steal? Did Dez catch it?

The argument for the league’s best wide receiver isn’t one of them. The order may change, but the top two names generally remain the same — Houston’s DeAndre Hopkins and Pittsburgh’s Antonio Brown.

Carolina gets an up-close look at Brown is in that conversation on Thursday.

The Panthers (6-2) hit the road for the first time in two weeks to face the Steelers (5-2-1) and the NFL’s receiving touchdowns leader in Brown. But there’s more than just the five-time All-Pro awaiting Carolina on the banks of the Allegheny River.

Second-year receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster leads the team in receiving yards and receptions, while the league’s second-leading rusher (James Conner) and fifth-leading passer (Ben Roethlisberger) make Pittsburgh’s offense stressful to prepare for — especially on a short week.

“It’s a very talented group (of receivers) that we’re going to face and don’t forget what’s happening with them at running back,” Panthers coach Ron Rivera said Monday. “Connor’s done a great job for them, their tight ends are dangerous as well. And, of course, they’ve got big Ben back there and he’s hard to bring down.

“This will be a challenge for us and I do think that matchups will be important. We’ll see how all that fits up for us as far as our game plan is concerned.”

If there’s any benefit of a short week, however, it’s that the memory of Panthers cornerback James Bradberry holding Tampa Bay receiver Mike Evans to one catch on 10 targets for 16 yards on Sunday. His trial by fire as the Panthers’ de facto No. 1 corner this season continues, having already faced A.J. Green, Julio Jones, Odell Beckham, Jr., Alshon Jeffrey and Evans.

Thursday marks his first matchup with Brown, who posted his first 1,000-yard season before Bradberry’s first collegiate snap, but he’s not any more anxious than usual. It’s hard for a corner’s eyes to get too wide when they’ve spent three seasons in the NFC South.

“(Playing Brown) means a lot, but in my division I go against Julio, Mike Evans and Michael Thomas (Saints) a lot, so I don’t want you to forget about them guys,” he said. “It’s going to mean a lot because I haven’t faced him before, so I’m prepared for it.”

Unlike the NFC South’s trio of elite receivers, each at least 6-foot-2 and 210 pounds, the 5-foot-10 Brown presents a different matchup for Bradberry — one perhaps better suited for his counterpart Donte Jackson’s game.

The duo used its complementary sets to their advantage several times this season, with the bigger Bradberry taking an opponent’s more physical receiver and the speedy Jackson handling the deep-ball threat.

“It’s been a lot of battles, a lot of great QBs, a lot of great receiving groups,” Jackson said. “This is another one that we’ve got to face this week. (We’ve) just got to be ready to click on all cylinders. We know that they have a lot of playmakers on that side of the ball and a lot of explosion waiting to happen. They have the guys to do it.”

Those playmakers extend beyond Pittsburgh’s receivers. Carolina has only allowed two running backs to top 100 total yards this season, but in his first season as a full-time starter, Conner ranks second in the league in total offense with 706 rushing yards and 379 receiving yards.

The Steelers featured one of the NFL’s best two-way running backs over the past five years, but Conner’s play this season almost makes you forget Le’Veon Bell is still holding out for a new contract.

“He’s playing lights out right now,” linebacker Thomas Davis said of Conner. “He’s a guy who’s taking full advantage of the opportunity with Le’Veon being out. He’s making everybody totally forget about Le’Veon around there, if you ask me.”

Getting these guys the ball is two-time Super Bowl champion Ben Roethlisberger, who drew praise not only from the Panthers’ defense, but their signal-caller, as well.

“In the offseason, I really take a scan of a lot of different guys, and his understanding of number one, where his receivers are, is like second to none,” Cam Newton said Tuesday. “Because he can be looking over here, and then all of a sudden scan back over here and have perfect timing and be time for that particular route.

“And the play is never over with Big Ben.”

Although it’s an interconference matchup, the Panthers have a lot riding on what should be a chilly Thursday night in Pittsburgh. For the third straight week, they face a top-5 ranked unit in the Steelers’ fourth-ranked offense. They’ll get to put their second-ranked rushing attack to the test against the Steelers’ sixth-ranked run defense and their fourth-ranked pass protection against the Steelers’ fourth-ranked pass rush.

For Carolina’s secondary, in particular, it’s a litmus test — a potential confidence boost, even, with four games remaining against the NFC South’s high-powered offenses.

“It really doesn’t get any better than this — prime-time game, great receiving group, a secondary that’s trying to prove itself for the past few weeks,” Jackson said. “We’re going to get out there and be ready to go.”

Panthers cornerback Captain Munnerlyn took it a step further, calling Thursday’s game an opportunity to emerge from “under the radar” to “contender” in front of a national audience.

“It’s Thursday Night Football, it’s an opportunity for us to go out there and show everybody that we’re for real,” he said. “The 6-2 record is not a fluke. It’s definitely an opportunity for our football team to really show everybody that we’re something serious.”

This story was originally published November 6, 2018 at 4:43 PM with the headline "Dominant performance in recent memory, Panthers out to prove they’re ‘not a fluke’."