Carolina Panthers Meet Wildcat

NFL News - November 17th, 2009 - Written by John

With division hopes ever fleeting by the day, both the Carolina Panthers (4-5) and Miami Dolphins (5-4) will have to shoot for the moon, rather than the stars. Though a first-round bye seems a bit ambitious, a wild card berth is not out of the question for either team. On Thursday, one will take a big step forward when they meet on Thursday Night Football.

It will be a battle between two rushing offenses that rank in the top-five of the league, with the likely difference coming on defense. The Panthers defense has been ravaged by injuries and already ranks 25th-worst in the league in stopping the run. Meanwhile, Miami appears to have the edge, allowing nearly 30 yards fewer per game.

But with Miami's Ronnie Brown out of the game, Carolina gets the edge at home, according to BetUS, surrendering three points to the Dolphins. The over/under is 43 1/2. The under has hit in seven of the Panthers' last eight home games in November. If you are planning on doing some NFL Betting, then our NFL Week 11 Game Previews are a great resource, be sure to stop by them and get all the important information so you can make a more informed bet.

It is not a crucial, backbreaking kind of game for the losing team, but it is a tremendous boost to either team. Carolina has made a dramatic turnaround to get back to relevancy in the NFL, but they still trail unbeaten New Orleans by five games and all it can hope for is a season-split. They have won four of the last six and Jake Delhomme has resurrected his season, going three-straight games without a turnover.

Delhomme found Steve Smith twice for touchdowns, the first scores for Smith all year, and benefited from a rushing attack that is hitting it's stride. Banged up DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart racked up another 174 yards on the ground.

The Dolphins aren't quite as far away from division-leader New England, still standing at second-place, but it is clear they are not the favorites. The wildcat offense has been great at times, and pointless at others. There was a little of both last week when Miami had to drive 77 yards in the final two minutes to beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. But a win this Thursday would set in motion a run of four winnable games out of the next five where they will be favored against every remaining team, with the exception of New England in Week 12 and Pittsburgh in Week 17.

Ricky Williams is coming off his best game this season, rushing for 102 yards, and quarterback Chad Henne gained street cred for engineering that final drive against the Bucs. He hasn't dazzled, but hasn't taken his team out of games, either.

Brown will likely be out of the game due to a finger injury he suffered against Tampa Bay.

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