Carolina Panthers 2020 NFL schedule: 5 must-win games

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DENVER, CO – DECEMBER 29: Quarterback Derek Carr #4 of the Oakland Raiders walks on the field against the Denver Broncos during the fourth quarter at Empower Field at Mile High on December 29, 2019 in Denver, Colorado. The Broncos defeated the Raiders 16-15. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images) /

Home: Las Vegas Raiders

From here on out, it’s difficult to really believe the Panthers are going to beat anyone other than an inspired run against their former head coach (see next). However, the Raiders are known to just sputter from time to time and become their own worst enemy, and it’s possible that such a performance hits them at the wrong time that a visit to Carolina is labeled a trap game in retrospect.

The downside here is that the Panthers have absolutely drained the tub in terms of pass rushing production, save for the impressive Brian Burns. Dontari Poe is gone, as is Gerald McCoy, Vernon Butler, Mario Addison, and Bruce Irvin. Not all losses are created equal, but the team had 7 players with 4 sacks or more in 2019 and 6 of them are now departed (safety Eric Reid is the other).

This is bad news when facing one of the league’s best offensive fronts, and the Raiders don’t need a plethora of playmakers if Derek Carr (or whoever ends up starting) is given enough time to hurt a defense. The Panthers will need a genius game plan to counter their lack of proven pass rushing production in order to force the Raiders to make the sort of mistakes that plague them from time to time.

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