With Panthers-Browns finally imminent, here’s what to expect in the Week 1 NFL matchup
It’s finally time for kickoff.
Weeks of buildup, playbooks, installation, practices, and T-shirts have led to this.
On Sunday, Baker Mayfield and the Panthers face the Cleveland Browns in what should be one of the league’s most intriguing matchups.
Aside from the trite reality of Carolina’s new starting quarterback taking on his former team, several on-field matchups are compelling and critically important.
Rookie left tackle Ikem Ekwonu gets his first NFL regular-season test against one of the league’s premier pass rushers in Myles Garrett. DJ Moore and Robbie Anderson are facing elite cornerbacks Denzel Ward and Greg Newsome.
Defensive tackles Derrick Brown and Matt Ioannidis will try and push back All-Pro guards Joel Bitiono and Wyatt Teller. Linebackers Shaq Thompson, Franki Luvu and Damien Wilson are expecting to meet Pro Bowl running backs Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt in every hole. Donte Jackson, Jaycee Horn and C.J. Henderson will all get their chances against Pro Bowler Amari Cooper, leaving safeties Jeremy Chinn and Xavier Woods responsible for tight ends Harrison Bryant and David Njoku.
Carolina has a new kicker. Eddy Pineiro hasn’t tried an in-game kick inside Bank of America Stadium yet while the Browns drafted Cade York in the fourth round. The rookie is already a fan favorite in Cleveland.
Oh, and Christian McCaffery is 100% healthy.
Let’s break down these matchups further to learn —and possibly forecast — what may happen Sunday.
Not only Baker Mayfield on offense
It would be easy to write exclusively about Mayfield here. Everyone is doing it, and for good reason. But as offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo said Wednesday, “This is a professional environment, not a personal environment. And we’ll just attack it that way.”
Therefore let’s get the “personal” Mayfield stuff out of the way.
Don’t expect Mayfield’s emotions to overwhelm or distract him leading up to kickoff. The Panthers’ roster of 53 professional athletes all made it this far by being experts in compartmentalizing distractions. Mayfield will be himself come 1 p.m. Sunday.
Once the game starts, perhaps a late push out of bounds or a roughing call ticks Mayfield off. It’s football. Words will be exchanged and the intensity will be red-hot. It’s his responsibility to remain level and execute.
Executing McAdoo’s game plan takes astute pre-snap calculation. Reading a defense before the play is a strength of Mayfield’s. He’ll have to play on time while accurately deciding what matchups are advantageous.
Every matchup is advantageous for McCaffrey. The Panthers should be careful not to overuse their Queen on the chessboard. But assuming the game is close into the fourth quarter, there should not be any restraints on McCaffrey’s snaps or touches.
Moore vs. Ward will be fun to watch. The Browns are capable of playing a lot of zone. However, defenses deployed heavy man coverage against Carolina last season. Moore tends to win with deep over routes and crosses. Carolina wants to get the ball in his hands quickly and let him do the rest.
Watch out for slot receiver Shi Smith. He and Mayfield connected for five catches, 65 yards and a touchdown through eight preseason drives. Four of those grabs came on third down.
None of this matters if Carolina cannot block Garrett and Jadeveon Clowney. Tackle Taylor Moton will fare well against either. It’s Ekwonu who the Browns should attack.
Carolina will do its best to keep an extra tight end or running back on Ekwonu’s side to help chip block, but that cannot happen every play. It’s just not how football works. For the Panthers to be unpredictable and multidimensional, there will be plenty of plays throughout the game where Ekwonu is one-on-one with Garrett.
It’s going to be a challenging task.
Panthers ‘D’ prepared for ‘everything’
Panthers head coach Matt Rhule said the team “watched everything” in preparation for Browns quarterback Jacoby Brissett. “Everything” probably covers his 11 appearances with Miami last year. And his half of preseason tape a few weeks ago against Chicago.
Brissett should not scare the Panthers’ secondary, but it must respect him and his pass-catching options. He’ll look for his tight ends often. Carolina should be comfortable deploying either Chinn or Woods on either.
Safety Myles Hartsfield could be a difference-maker playing a big-slot role on running downs. Henderson has looked like the team’s top cover corner through training camp. He’ll draw a lot of Copper whether the team plays man or zone coverage. Expect cornerback Donte Jackson to be outside against Cooper or Donovan Peoples-Jones. That allows defensive coordinator Phil Snow to unlock Horn by using him wherever he sees best fit.
The Browns want to keep the game close until late. Chubb averages more than 6 yards per carry in the fourth quarter. Keeping him fresh is key to their late-game execution. Hunt (a former rushing champion) spells Chubb, allowing head coach Kevin Stefanski to remain multiple. Hunt is as dangerous a receiver as he is a runner.
Carolina’s linebackers will be active all game filling holes created by an elite offensive line. Browns offensive line coach Bill Callahan is the best run game coordinator in football.
Like most games, Panthers-Browns will come down to who blocks better and which quarterback turns it over less. That sounds like an oversimplification but it’s a detail-oriented challenge considering the talent both these teams have at several marquee positions.
Uncertain special teams
Rarely do we care about special teams until it matters.
Considering Sunday is a pick ‘em spread, the kicking game will make a difference.
Had Zane Gonzalez not injured his groin in Week 3 of the preseason (landing on injured reserve and ending his season), Carolina would have a nearly automatic kicker in their back pocket. Instead, Pineiro is expected to start. The team signed practice squad kicker Taylor Bertolet on Friday as a precaution.
The Browns feature a rookie kicker who was making 70-yard tries during warmups in Chicago.
The Panthers will have Andre Roberts return kicks and punts.
This story was originally published September 10, 2022 at 9:00 AM.
