Detroit Lions at Carolina Panthers
▶ Kickoff: 1 p.m. Saturday, Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, N.C.
▶ TV/radio: Fox/97.1
▶ Records: Lions 7-7, Panthers 5-9
▶ Line: Lions by 2½
Nolan Bianchi of The Detroit News breaks down the Lions’ Week 16 matchup against the Carolina Panthers.
Key matchup
LIONS RUN OFFENSE VS. PANTHERS RUN OFFENSE
Not exactly a head-to-head matchup here, but with the Lions’ rushing offense struggling to find the success it had earlier in the year, we’ll be keeping a close eye on which team can run the ball better Saturday. Since Week 10, the Lions are averaging 3.7 yards per carry. For perspective, the Los Angeles Rams and Chargers are tied for the second-worst mark in the league this season with 3.7. The Panthers, meanwhile, must run the ball successfully to win. Since Week 7, Carolina is 4-4, averaging 72.5 yards on the ground in losses and 203.3 rushing yards in victories.
Panthers to watch
▶ WR DJ Moore: Since 2019, only seven receivers in the NFL have collected more receiving yards than Moore — and since he entered the league, nobody has caught more passes of 50-plus yards (12). Moore had five catches for 73 yards and a touchdown in last week’s loss to Pittsburgh and has 678 yards on the season, the most on Carolina’s roster by a significant margin. If Sam Darnold has any success throwing the ball Saturday, it’ll likely be because his chemistry with Moore is clicking.
▶ DE Brian Burns: The former first-round pick is having a whale of a season and will undoubtedly test the Lions’ pass blocking. Burns, in his fourth NFL season, is currently tied for 10th in the NFL with a career-high 10½ sacks and is tied for seventh in the league with 14 tackles for loss.
▶ LB Frankie Luvu: He is second on the team in tackles (87) and poses a threat to the Lions in both the pass and run game. He is the only Panther to trail Burns in sacks (six) and tackles for loss (13), and he has the team’s best run defense grade (83.9) and second-best pass rush grade (74.2). Luvu is also the only player in the league with at least five sacks and 40 tackles since Week 10.
More: Predictions: Detroit Lions at Carolina Panthers
Facts and figures
▶ In his eighth season with the Panthers, Shaq Thompson is as dominant as ever. With 12 tackles in last week’s game against Pittsburgh, he surpassed 100 tackles for the fourth time in as many seasons. In that span, he is one of just five players to achieve that feat in four consecutive seasons.
▶ One thing the Lions probably won’t want to do this weekend — or ever, really — is get into a kicking battle. Panthers kicker Eddy Piñeiro has hit 93.3% of his kicks this season, including 14 straight, and has made 12 field goals of 40-plus yards.
▶ The Lions’ trip to Carolina will not bring some reprieve from the weather. According to the Panthers’ media guide, Saturday’s projected kickoff temperature — 32 degrees — would be the second-coldest home game in Panthers history.
nbianchi@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @nolanbianchi