The Week 11 matchup between the Detroit Lions (4-5) and the Carolina Panthers (3-7) has the potential to be an exciting game on both sides of the field. The teams are comparable on paper and each should put up a good fight for the victory. The Panthers lead the all-time series between the teams, 6-3, and have won the last two of three meetings. Both teams have had a rough start to the 2020 season. The Panthers are looking to break a six-game losing streak and Detroit is hoping to reach .500 with a victory.
Detroit Lions
Offense
Matthew Stafford, the Lions starting quarterback is questionable for play on Sunday as he tends to a broken finger, but he is expected to be ready. He passed for 276 yards and three touchdowns and a 127.8 rating last week against Washington, which was his 40th career game with three or more touchdown passes.
Rookie D’Andre Swift had his career-high 149 scrimmage yards in Week 10 and his second career touchdown, but will not see any action this week as he is out with a concussion. Adrian Peterson leads the Lions with 97 carries for 371 yards and two touchdowns so far this season and is looking for his third game in a row against the Panthers with 95-plus rushing yards.
Kenny Golladay is also out for this game with a hip injury. Last week Marvin Jones led his team with eight receptions for 96 yards and one touchdown catch. Marvin Hall also put a receiving touchdown up against Washington, his second score of the season. Tight end T.J. Hockenson is looking for his fourth game in a row on the road with at least one touchdown catch. Newly-added receiver Mohamed Sanu has been promoted to the active roster in time for the game, as the Lions will be missing Danny Amendola in addition to Golladay,
Defense
Jamie Collins led the Lions with his season-high 13 tackles, a career-high two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery last week versus Washington. Collins leads the team with a total of 68 tackles for the season.
Romeo Okwara put his sixth sack of the season in the record last week and has at least one tackle for loss in the last seven of eight games. The Lions have 13 total sacks for the season which means Okwara has recorded nearly half of the team’s sacks. Duron Harmon leads the team with two interceptions.
Everson Griffen posted his first sack with Detroit last week and in his past three games facing Carolina he has amassed six sacks and he is going for his fourth with at least one sack against the Panthers.
Justin Coleman put his career-high 10 tackles on the books in Week 10, while Desmond Trufant (facing the Panthers for the first time playing with Detroit) has 13 pass deflections in 13 career games versus Carolina.
Carolina Panthers
Offense
Teddy Bridgewater is questionable for play on Sunday and coach Matt Rhule says it will be a game-time decision on whether or not he plays this week. Bridgewater was injured last week during the game against Tampa Bay when he took a hit to the knee. Jason Pierre-Paul was subsequently fined $15,000 by the NFL for the low hit. Before being taken out of the game, Bridgewater put two passing touchdowns and one rushing on the board and he is ranked second in the league for completion percentage.
Mike Davis has been an integral part of the Carolina offense this season. He ranks second among running backs with 47 receptions on the season and is one of two running backs with six games of five or more catches this season (Alvin Kamara). In the last three of four home games, Davis has put 50-plus scrimmage yards on the books.
D.J. Moore recorded four catches for a team-high 96 yards and a receiving touchdown against Tampa Bay last week. Moore leads the NFL with 18.9 yards per catch in 2020 and had seven catches for his career-high 157 yards and a receiving touchdown in the last meeting with Detroit.
Robby Anderson has only faced the Lions once in his career, in 2018 while he was with the New York Jets he put up a receiving touchdown. Anderson and Moore are the only pair of teammates each with 700-plus receiving yards this season.
Curtis Samuel has four touchdowns (two receiving and two rushing) in his last four games, and is the only wide receiver with 10 or more receiving touchdowns and five or more rushing touchdowns since 2018.
Defense
Jeremy Chinn is ranked third among NFL defensive backs and leads all rookies with 69 tackles on the season. Chinn has at least five tackles in eight of his nine career games and has five pass deflections in his past five games.
Tre Boston had his third-career fumble recovery last week and aims for his fourth game in a row with at least five or more tackles. Boston has 54 total tackles this season with two for a loss.
Shaq Thompson recorded seven tackles, two tackles for loss, and his fourth-career forced fumble in Week 10. Thompson also leads the team with 79 total tackles and has six tackles for loss, four pass deflections, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery this season.
Corn Elder led the team last week with his career-high eight tackles while Efe Obada had his fourth-career sack last week and is seeking his third home game with at least one sack.
Game Information
Date: November 22, 2020
Time: 12:00 P.M. EST
Location: Charlotte, NC
Venue: Bank of America Stadium
TV: FOX
Betting Odds Sponsored by Jazz Sportsbook
Point Spread: DET -2 (-110) | CAR +2 (-110)
Moneyline: DET -130 | CAR +107
Over/Under: O 46.5 | U 46.5
The total is the best bet, here. You can expect it to go over 46.5 in a season where scoring is up.
Prediction
If Bridgewater is able to play, the Panthers win this one decisively. Carolina has a lot to prove and desperately needs to break the current five-game losing streak. He is not the only key to victory, but it is not clear yet if P.J. Walker is ready to step up for an entire game. Carolina is rebuilding this year under new leadership and they are still trying to fit all the pieces of the puzzle together.
The offensive line could use more consistent production and the defensive line needs to work together to stop the Lions from reaching the end zone. The Panthers have the ability and talent to defeat the Lions as long as there are not miscues and both sides of the ball bring their A-game for all four quarters.
FINAL SCORE: Detroit Lions 21 – Carolina Panthers 31
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