Cowboys at Panthers 9/9/18 - NFL Picks & Predictions

On Sunday September 9 the Dallas Cowboys visit Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina to play the Carolina Panthers in Week 1 of the NFL regular season.

The offense for Dallas returns quarterback Dak Prescott, bruising running back Ezekiel Elliott and one of the NFL’s best offensive lines. Gone are tight end Jason Witten and wide receiver Dez Bryant. The Cowboys are thin at wide receiver with names such as Cole Beasley, Terrance Williams and Allen Hurns.

Defensively Dallas needs its two top stars Sean Lee and Demarcus Lawrence to remain healthy. Rookie linebacker Leighton Vander Esch played well during the preseason and will be a regular.

Carolina’s offense is all about quarterback Cam Newton, but this season second-year all-purpose back Christian McCaffrey will be the feature back, while wide receivers Devin Funchess, Curtis Samuel and Torrey Smith give Newton excellent targets to throw to. The Panthers have one of the NFC’s top defenses which includes Luke Kuechly and Mario Addison and a big addition to the defensive line in Dontari Poe. During the preseason, Dak Prescott in limited action threw for 125 yards and two touchdowns. Ezekiel Elliott did not run the ball during preseason as coaches rested the back for the regular season opener. Terrance Williams caught 5 passes for 28 yards and one touchdown, while Cole Beasley caught three for 31 yards.

Cam Newton threw for 315 yards, one touchdown and one interception for the Panthers during preseason. Christian McCaffrey rushed for 151 yards and caught 8 passes for 73 yards. C.J. Anderson rushed for 70 yards on 14 carries and will likely backup up McCaffrey in the offensive backfield. Devin Funchess caught 4 passes for 54 yards, while Austin Duke led the receivers with 10 receptions for 76 yards.