Green Bay Packers: What are the Carolina Panthers up against?
By Josh McPeak
Sunday will mark the twelfth meeting all-time between the Carolina Panthers and the Green Bay Packers. The most important meeting between the two squads came in 1996 when Green Bay dismantled the Panthers 30-13 in the 1996 NFC Championship Game.
The Panthers head coach at the time?
None other than Packers current defensive coordinator Dom Capers.
Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers is on the hot seat in 2014. Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
Green Bay is off to a 3-0 start at Lambeau Field for the second straight season. A feat the team has accomplished 20 times in franchise history. Going 4-0 is not an easy task as the Packers currently stand at 2-2 when the Panthers visit Packers News.
The Packers roll into week seven looking for a fourth straight victory, riding a wave of interceptions over that span, with a total of eight.
That trails only the New York Giants during that period who have a league high 10. Green Bay, however, leads the NFL in return yards with a total of 188.
A stat that may surprise many fans is the fact the Packers look to hold the sixth straight opposing quarterback to a passer rating below 85.
Starting with Mathew Stafford at 61.6 the Pack D has gone on to hold Geno Smith to 66.1, Jay Cutler to 82.5, Christian Ponder to 45.8 and Ryan Tannehill to 81.5. That’s a pretty impressive stat compared to year’s numbers.
Aaron Rodgers will go into Sunday’s game more accurate than any other quarterback to ever play the game. Rodgers is the first quarterback in NFL history to have 15-plus touchdowns while throwing one or fewer interceptions in the first six games of an NFL season.
Rodgers has also not thrown an interception in his last 170 attempts. Just 11 shy of his career best back in the 2010 season.
Sep 28, 2014; Chicago, IL, USA; Green Bay Packers wide receiver Randall Cobb (18) reacts after dropping a pass against the Chicago Bears during the second half at Soldier Field. The Green Bay Packers defeats the Chicago Bears 38-17. Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports
Aaron Rodgers isn’t the only player riding a hot hand into Sunday.
Randall Cobb has nine touchdowns in his last seven regular season games while the team has also compiled 120-plus rushing yards in its last two contests.
Julius Peppers will also be facing the NFL team that drafted him and kept him home out of the University of North Carolina. While many had closed the book on the career of Peppers, he is the only player in the NFL this season with at least a sack, an interception, a forced fumble, fumble recovery and a defensive touchdown.
Pretty good for an old man.
However, it doesn’t end there with Peppers. He is the only player in NFL history to record 10 interceptions with at least 100 sacks. While also playing in 102 consecutive games, which is the longest streak amongst all current NFL linebackers.
Julius Peppers. Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
The Panthers arrive to Green Bay on the heels of a 37-37 tie against the Cincinnati Bengals. A defensive squad that has been little more than a shell of the lock-down squad they were in 2013.
Cam Newton has also had to rely heavily on rookie Kelvin Benjamin to replace the output of veteran Steve Smith Sr.
Carolina may catch Green Bay at a good time as the playing status of Tramon Williams, Sam Shields and Jamari Lattimore are all in question at this point.
Sunday could provide some fireworks as the Packers dip into a two-game swing against the NFC South before heading into an always much-needed bye week.