Know your opponent: Are Carolina Panthers facing Jacksonville Jaguars at the right time?
It seemed like a ludicrous question to pose a few weeks ago, before the Jacksonville Jaguars had lost their past four and before the Carolina Panthers’ offense showed signs of life.
But it’s worth asking now:
Can Carolina upset Jacksonville this weekend?
At the very least, the matchup comes at an intriguing time.
For the Panthers (2-13 and no postseason to play for), the timing is about as good as any. The team led by interim coach Chris Tabor fought valiantly against the Green Bay Packers in a 33-30 loss that felt a lot like a win on Sunday — one where rookie quarterback Bryce Young shined and Bank of America Stadium shouted like it hadn’t in so long. And that Packers game, of course, came a week after the Panthers’ second win of the year — a 9-7 rainstorm against the Atlanta Falcons where the Panthers’ defense proved its worth.
For the Jaguars (8-7 and still in control of their own destiny in the AFC South), the timing isn’t great. That is to say: the team isn’t playing its best football now — what with losing the past four (including its past two by 16- and 18-point margins) and with a young star quarterback battling injury.
According to FanDuel Sportsbook, the home-side Jaguars opened as seven-point favorites for the 1 p.m. kickoff Sunday, with the over/under set at 38.5.
Here’s a closer look at the Panthers’ opponent in Week 17.
Latest on Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence
It’s been a tough few weeks for Trevor Lawrence.
The Jacksonville starting quarterback, who has so-far lived up to his No. 1 overall pick pedigree, suffered another bad break on Sunday, in his team’s 30-12 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He left the game and didn’t return at the start of the fourth quarter because of a shoulder injury.
This is the fourth injury that Lawrence has sustained this season. Among the others: a sprained left knee in Week 6 (he played the New Orleans Saints four days later), and a high ankle sprain earlier this month against the Bengals (he started the following week in Cleveland).
There’s no doubt Lawrence — a national champion at Clemson — is tough. He’s also good. His stats this season: 3,736 passing yards (sixth in the NFL), 19 touchdowns (13th) and a QBR of 89.1.
But is he 100%?
That will be among the top priorities for the Jaguars to sort out before they welcome a strong Panthers defense to EverBank Stadium.
Can the Panthers’ defense get back on track?
The defense has long been the best part of the Panthers in 2023. The stats substantiate that. This defensive unit on the year is giving up only 296.8 yards per game (sixth in the NFL) and is also only allowing a 37.57% opponent third down conversion rate (12th in the league).
But the defense didn’t look like itself against the Packers, when the unit gave up 33 points and forced no turnovers and allowed 162 yards on the ground.
Can the Panthers’ defense get back on track against the Jaguars?
The stats suggest that it can.
Jacksonville on the year is averaging 22.1 points per game (13th in the league) and 339.5 yards per game (12th). But the Jaguars struggle on the ground — they’re 26th in rush yards per game with 93.9 and haven’t had a rusher go for more than 79 yards since Week 8 — and rely heavily on a passing attack that has grown more and more precarious as the season has trudged on.
The past four games, Jacksonville has turned the ball over 10 times. The team now ranks 21st in turnover margin per game at -0.2.
The Jaguars’ defense against Bryce Young
Young had a day to remember on Sunday against the Packers, no doubt. He threw his first 300-yard game as a pro, adding on two touchdowns, a completion percentage of 63.9% and a 113.0 passer rating.
He’s facing a different defense in the Jaguars. Jacksonville is 11th in rushing yards per game allowed (101.3) and 16th in rushing touchdowns per game allowed (0.9) — and that’s significant because of the run-first identity the Panthers have embraced as of late.
But there are still plenty of Panthers plays to be made, it appears, in the passing game. The Jaguars are 29th in opponent passing yards per game (257.1). They also are tied for 27th in sacks per game at 2.1 — a fun reprieve for Panthers fans, who have watched Young operate under pressure for most of the season.
The past four quarterbacks to play and subsequently beat the Jaguars:
- Cincinnati’s Jake Browning (who threw for 354 yards and a touchdown en route a 34-31 win).
- Cleveland’s Joe Flacco (who threw for 311 yards and threw touchdowns to claim a 31-27 win).
- Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson (who threw 171 yards and a touchdown in a 23-7 win).
- And Tampa Bay’s Baker Mayfield (who threw 283 yards and two touchdowns in a 30-12 win).
Can Young — and subsequently, the Panthers — get the better of Jacksonville next?
This story was originally published December 26, 2023 at 6:30 AM with the headline "Know your opponent: Are Carolina Panthers facing Jacksonville Jaguars at the right time?."
