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There is a positive air surrounding the Carolina Panthers in spite of the absence of franchise QB Cam Newton. They are considered solid favorites to win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after winning three straight football games.
While the Bucs aren't pushovers, the strong run the Panthers have made gives them plenty of momentum coming into the game. Moreover, they have one of the league's most exciting running backs carrying them on offense this year.
There's a huge chance for the three-game winning streak to become four. If they manage to keep Jameis Winston off his game and get the running game going, there's no way for the Bucs to get comfortable in London.
Here are some predictions of what will happen when the two sides meet for their Week 6 duel across the pond.
Kyle Allen's hot, interception-free start will continue
Kyle Allen is doing a fantastic job holding down the pocket in Newton's absence. In fact, some may say he should remain as the starter even if Newton returns due to his superb job as the QB.
He's definitely not the most impressive QB if we look at his numbers. Compared to the likes of Patrick Mahomes and Russell Wilson, 674 passing yards and 67% completion rate makes him look like a run-of-the-mill QB.
However, his edge comes at his mindfulness of the football. He's yet to throw an interception his entire career. Sure, he only started one game last year. However, he managed to keep a clean game against the Houston Texans.
It's very likely that he'll continue his hot passing streak this game, and we're calling on it to happen.
Christian McCaffrey will accomplish 200 rushing yards
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Christian McCaffrey is probably the reason why Allen hasn't made a lot of throws compared to Cam Newton. But it's hard to not put the ball to the ground when you have such an elite running back in your team.
McCaffrey has been the key to the Panthers' successes of late. He's notched a league-high 587 rushing yards on 105 carries. He's also gotten six touchdowns off of it. This puts him on a trajectory to beat his rushing numbers last season by a considerable margin.
He didn't practice during Wednesday, but that's something Ron Rivera has expected out of his star runner. When you use such a talented guy this much, the least you could do is give him time to recuperate.
He finished the last game against the Jacksonville Jaguars with 176 yards. With him getting in his groove, it's very likely that he'll break 200 rushing yards against a suspect Tampa Bay defense.
The Panthers will win by two touchdowns
It's hard to figure out which Tampa Bay Buccaneers squad will show up against them. They showed against the LA Rams that they can be an unstoppable force, but the San Francisco 49ers and New Orleans Saints showcased their weaknesses.
With the way the Panthers are currently set up, it's more than likely that they'll finish with a two-touchdown lead. It's hard to imagine an inconsistent Bucs team managing to keep it close against McCaffrey and Carolina.
