The Carolina Panthers will face the Houston Texans at Bank of American Stadium during their Week 8 matchup on Sunday.
The Panthers fell to the Miami Dolphins in their Week 6 game at Hard Rock Stadium. Carolina gained a total of 224 receiving yards in the 42-21 loss on the road. Receiver Adam Thielen led the Panthers with 115 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown on 11 receptions. Six Panthers, including cornerback CJ Henderson and linebacker Frankie Luvu, recorded one tackle for loss. Henderson and Luvu combined for 18 tackles, including 13 solo.
“There's positive things to build on,” Panthers head coach Frank Reich said, via USA Today staff writer Anthony Rizzuti. “Obviously, you lose by three touchdowns—so nothing feels good about it. Nothing. But we'll look at the tape and I know there's good things on the tape. So, we'll get better from the good and the bad.”
The Texans will be coming off of a bye week in Week 7 after defeating the New Orleans Saints in a 20-13 victory in Week 6. Houston quarterback C.J. Stroud garnered 199 passing yards, two passing touchdowns and one interception in the home win. Running backs Devin Singletary and Dameon Pierce added 92 rushing yards on 25 attempts. Linebacker Blake Cashman led the Texans' defense with 15 tackles, nine solo tackles, two tackles for loss, two pass deflections and one quarterback hit.
What are some bold predictions for the Panthers when they face the Texans on Sunday?
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Bryce Young will throw for at least 250 yards
Young ended the Panthers' Week 6 matchup with 217 passing yards and one passing touchdown. He completed 23 of his 38 pass attempts. The former Alabama quarterback has recorded 967 passing yards and six passing touchdowns during the five games he has suited up for the Panthers this season. He has earned 200 passing yards or more on three occasions this season. He threw for a season-high 247 passing yards during a 42-24 loss to the Detroit Lions in Week 5.
“Yeah, I mean, we got the guy we wanted to get and couldn't be happier about that in every way,” Reich said on Wednesday, via Panthers.com. “And I would say this: I'm happy for C.J. He's had six good games, and I have no doubt he'll have many more good games. But I know this: when it comes to evaluating quarterbacks or any position, it's years, not weeks. You can't put a label on a guy after six weeks or even a year. I've seen guys have Pro Bowl seasons and then a year later, fighting to be a backup somewhere else. I mean, it's a crazy league.
“What you're looking for and what we're looking for, not just from our quarterback, but in every position, is sustained success at a high level for a very long time. And you can't measure it in weeks on that.”
The Texans have allowed 1,473 passing yards this season, according to NFL.com. The figure put them behind the Los Angeles Rams, Pittsburgh Steelers and Tennessee Titans for 16th in the NFL. Saints quarterback Derek Carr threw for 353 yards in Houston's win over New Orleans.
The Panthers offense will earn at least 120 rushing yards
The Panthers combined for 108 rushing yards in their loss to the Dolphins. Carolina running back Chuba Hubbard led the Panthers with 88 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown. The Panthers are in 25th place in the league with 588 rushing yards this season. Their 4.1 yards per carry put them on pace with the Lions, Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Chargers.
The Panthers must face a Texans defense that ranks 10th in the league with 651 rushing yards allowed. Houston allowed a total of 89 rushing yards in their win over the Saints.
The Panthers will take a close victory over the Texans
The Panthers must find a way to claim their first victory following their bye week after starting the season with an 0-6 record. Carolina went 3-2 following its Week 13 bye week in 2022, pushing it up to a record of 7-10 with wins over the Seahawks, Lions and Saints. The Panthers must slow down Stroud and find ways to stay consistent on offense to take a potential win over Houston at Bank of America Stadium.
“They're a good football team,” Thielen said, via HoustonTexans.com. “A team that's going through a similar situation to us: new quarterback, new coaching staff, all that. But have shown they can play at a high level, right away.
“They're getting wins. They're playing really well on both sides of the ball. Special teams, they're top five in the league, maybe.”
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