ZB Game of the Week: Panthers at 49ers

A month ago it looked like Ron Rivera was on the proverbial coaching hotseat and the Carolina Panthers were headed toward another disappointing season. But the cats got healthy against Minnesota and have not looked back, winning four straight in dominant fashion. They’ve outscored foes 130-48 during the stretch, which upped their record from 1-3 to 5-3, squarely in the mix for a playoff run in the season’s second half.

Save for a slow start, San Francisco has been almost as good as advertised throughout the 2013 campaign. They’re 6-2 and on a five game win streak during which no team has come closer than 12 points. But this is an important game for both teams, as each is in second place in their respective division.

So it was an easy choice in making this our Zoneblitz Game of the Week. Brandon Becker, editor at Cat Crave, and Al Sacco, staff writer for 49ersgab.com, 49erswebzone.com and sportsoutwest.com share their insights as to what it’s going to take to come out on top.

Brandon Becker, Cat Crave (Twitter: @catcraveblog)

WHY THE PANTHERS WILL WIN:

The Panthers stroll into Sunday’s contest riding a four-game win streak and playing their best football in years. Cam Newton is playing smart, controlled football that has resulted in an efficient offense. After rolling through the have-nots of the league the Panthers will finally face a team that is a challenging opponent. This is actually a good matchup on paper for Carolina. If there is a concern regarding the Panthers’ defense it is the secondary. The 49ers rank dead last in passing offense, yet they boast the top rushing attack in the league. Carolina’s defense is no slouch against the run as it is holding opponents to the second fewest yards. It’s a matchup that will pit strength against strength, but we’ve seen the Panthers already contain the likes of Adrian Peterson and Marshawn Lynch, which is why the Panthers will win this one. If the Niners are unable to move the ball on the ground it is going to be tough for them to put points on the board.

WHY THE PANTHERS COULD LOSE:

Bottom line: the Niners are coming off a bye, are at home and have the better coaching staff. This is a step up in competition for the Panthers and while they are playing good football so is San Francisco having won five in a row. Vernon Davis and Anquan Boldin are two physical players that should cause the Panthers secondary trouble. The last time Carolina faced a competent defense the offense was held to six points and blew up in Arizona. Newton has been good of late, but he wasn’t all that sharp against Atlanta. If he has a similar performance against San Fran there’s no way the Panthers steal this one.

PREDICTION:

The entire time I’ve been writing this I’ve gone back and forth on my pick. Neither team has had a particularly difficult schedule and outside of the Niners’ opening week win against Green Bay they haven’t beaten anybody worth noting. In fact, their two losses were blowout wins for Seattle and Indianapolis. My head says to go with the Niners because they are at home, off a bye and have the better coaching staff. But I have a gut feeling that the Panthers walk away with a big victory on the road and announce to the entire league that they are for real. PANTHERS 20, 49ers 17

Al Sacco, 49erswebzone.com, 49ersgab.com and SportsOutWest.com (Twitter: @49erswebzone, @49ersgab, @sportswestcoast)

WHY THE 49ERS WILL WIN:

With the return of Mario Manningham and Aldon Smith to lineup, the 49ers will be as close to complete as they have been all season. Manningham will give quarterback Colin Kaepernick another viable target in the passing game and Smith will improve a struggling pass rush. Even without those two players, the 49ers have been as hot as any team in the league. Over their past five games they have gone 5-0 while outscoring opponents 174 to 61. San Francisco has been paced by their rushing attack, which leads the NFL in rushing yards per game (153) and rushing touchdowns (15).

WHY THE 49ERS COULD LOSE:

As hot as the 49ers have been, the Panther have been just as good over their past four games, going 4-0 and outscoring opponents 130-48. While Cam Newton is playing some of the best football of his career, it’s the Panther’s defense that is setting the tone. They lead the NFL in total defense with only 2399 yards allowed over eight games. They can counter the 49ers’ vaunted running game with a front seven that is allowing a mere 79 yards rushing a game and has only given up two rushing touchdowns all season.

PREDICTION:

While both teams are firing on all cylinders, the Panthers are yet to beat a team with a winning record this season. The opponents in their five victories are a combined 8-33. Considering that, and the fact that the game is in San Francisco, the 49ers should come out on top. 49ers 24, Panthers 14.

Zoneblitz’s Take: As exciting as today’s pass-heavy can be to watch, sometimes there is nothing better than watching two good, hard-nosed teams play smash-mouth football. I think this game has that written all over it.

Cam Newton is playing slightly better than Colin Kaepernick right now, but I’d take Frank Gore and Kendall Hunter over the multi-headed running back attack of the Panthers. It might come down to which team can get the run going enough to set up a couple big plays in the passing game.

The Panthers still have a lot of doubters because of their schedule. I was the lone dissenter in picking the Panthers in our picks segment for the week. I’ll stick with that in a relatively low scoring game. Panthers 20, 49ers 17.

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