2014 Divisional Preview: Panthers vs 49ers

Cory Puffett

San Francisco 49ers at Carolina Panthers

January 12 – 1:05pm (FOX)

Three of the Football Freaks voted this as the game of the week. I was one of them and now I get to tell you why this matchup excites me so much.

These two teams are nearly identical. I can’t remember ever seeing two teams so much alike in the same season. Both have quarterbacks who can make big plays with their arms or their legs. Both have very solid running backs. And San Francisco and Carolina each have similar strengths on defense.

I can explain in what ways Carolina is slightly better than San Francisco and in what facets of the game the 49ers are superior. But instead, let me use these stats I used earlier in the week to calculate my divisional round power rankings.

Of the eight remaining playoff teams:

• Against the run, Carolina is ranked 1^st, San Francisco is ranked 2^nd.
• Against the pass, Carolina is ranked 3^rd, San Francisco is ranked 4^th.
• In rushing offense, Carolina is ranked 4^th, San Francisco is ranked 1^st.
• In passing offense, Carolina is ranked 3^rd, San Francisco is ranked 4^th.

These teams are eerily similar, and it makes for a very exciting matchup that will be nearly impossible to predict. When two teams are this evenly matched, the game almost always comes down to turnovers, penalties, and who makes (or misses) a big play.

San Francisco running back Frank Gore is one of the best in the game. It is no coincidence that rushing offense is the one major statistical category in which the 49ers are better than the Panthers.

But my concern is Colin Kaepernick. He’s broken out of his “sophomore slump” – I know this is his third season in the league, just go with me here. But how will he stand up to this Carolina defense? He played poorly the first time they played, and that was at home in Candlestick. Sure, he’s won games against Seattle and Arizona since then, but he wasn’t dominant in either of those games.

Sunday’s matchup also features two of the best inside linebackers in the game today. Patrick Willis has been a pro bowler every year of his professional career, all the way back to his rookie season in 2007. Luke Kuechly should have made the pro bowl last year in his own rookie campaign, but nobody seemed to know who he was until he won defensive rookie of the year and people suddenly realized that he led the entire NFL in tackles.

Both teams should know how to defend against mobile quarterbacks. San Francisco has more offensive weapons in the pass game, especially now that Michael Crabtree is healthy and again a major part of the offense.

Like I said earlier, I can dissect each position to pieces. This game will most likely come down to who can take care of the ball and which team is able to avoid critical errors resulting in penalties or big plays.

I will make my official prediction tomorrow, along with my picks for the other three divisional games.