The Carolina Panthers will begin their 2020 season this weekend against the Las Vegas Raiders. At the moment, they are considered three-point underdogs despite having the home-field advantage. If they’re going to overcome those odds and pull off a Week 1 victory, then they will need to win several key individual matchups.
Here are 10 that we will be following closely come Sunday afternoon.
RB Christian McCaffrey vs. SS Johnathan Abram
The Raiders loaded up on linebackers this offseason, but their best run defender may be Abram, who missed most of last year with a shoulder injury. Abram is a heavy hitter who can energize his whole team like early Keanu Neal or Kam Chancellor. On the other hand, McCaffrey is the top running back in football and makes even great run stuffers look bad. He’s also underrated as a runner between the tackles. It will be fascinating to see what happens when these two butt heads.