The Indianapolis Colts (6-8) and Carolina Panthers (5-9) are preparing for a Sunday battle at Lucas Oil Stadium in Week 16.
Ahead of the matchup, we caught up with our friends over at Panthers Wire and managing editor Tim Weaver to get the scoop on the Colts’ opponent in Week 16.
Here we go behind enemy lines with Panthers Wire:
Colts Wire: What does the future hold for Cam Newton? Is there a likelihood he gets traded this offseason?
Tim Weaver: I would be surprised if he gets traded. Newton has one year left on his deal and if he’s anything close to 100% healthy he’ll be a bargain given what franchise QBs are getting these days. Cam wants to come back, but it depends on the new front office arrivals. Whoever replaces Ron Rivera might want to start over with a younger QB, but as far as options already on the roster it’s Newton and then a massive dropoff. In the first half of last season before he was injured, he was playing at a high level and I think he can do so again. The Panthers should roll the dice and bet he will.
CW: Are there any front runners to replace Ron Rivera?
TW: There hasn’t been any real solid reporting yet on who will replace Rivera. Some names that have been mentioned include Mike McCarthy, Jim Harbaugh and Matt Rhule. Based on what owner David Tepper has said, I’m guessing he is inclined to find a younger, more offensive-minded head coach who isn’t shy about trying new things, especially integrating analytics into his decision making. That doesn’t exactly narrow it down, though. We will find out soon who he has in mind.
CW: Who has been a surprise for the Panthers this season?
TW: There haven’t been many pleasant surprises, to be honest. It is somewhat surprising how disappointing center Matt Paradis has been, especially in pass protection. One player who has exceeded expectations is sixth-round pick Dennis Daley. He’s been filling in at left tackle most of this season due to injuries and has performed relatively well. I don’t know how well he’ll do against Justin Houston, but there’s a lot of promise there.
CW: Do the Panthers have any plans to lighten the workload for Christian McCaffrey in the future?
TW: Nope. Last week, McCaffrey literally didn’t come off the field once. Interim head coach Perry Fewell also told reporters he hopes McCaffrey can reach the 1,000 rushing and 1,000 receiving yards mark. He needs 186 receiving to get there, which is certainly possible with two games left to play. They should be resting him more and giving other RBs on the roster a chance to develop, but apparently that’s not going to happen.
CW: Who wins and why?
TW: It’s very difficult to call this one given that both teams are playing very poorly right now- losing a combined 10 games in a row between them. I’m going to go out on a limb and predict rookie QB Will Grier gives the Panthers some energy they have been missing for a long time. It won’t be pretty, but if they can win the turnover battle I think they can definitely pull off an upset. Carolina 24, Indianapolis 20.