Monday Night Football Preview: Carolina Panthers vs Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts will be on the road in Week 8, taking on one of the best teams in the league so far — the undefeated Carolina Panthers. The Colts (3-4) will look to improve to .500 against the most unlikely opponent in the Panthers who come into Monday's game with an unblemished 6-0 record, headed by Cam Newton and Jonathan Stewart.
Schedule: Monday, 8:30 p.m. ET
Venue: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte
TV Coverage: ESPN
Monday Night Football Action Preview
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By looking at what happened at the very same time last year, the Panthers, although undefeated at this point, should be worried. They had a successful 2013 season, but after that, the team didn't win in two months, to which they carried a record of 3-8-1 at the arrival of the 2014 season. How about now? Will they have the same fate?
It looks like everything is going the right way for them, which is a complete opposite to their fortunes last year. They own the longest winning streak of 10 games in the regular season and are heading into this game with confidence over the roof.
As for the Colts to win this game, they need all the help they can get. Head coach Chuck Pagano may lose his job even before the regular season ends, but a victory come Monday night may put an end to those rumors. But in the event that they lose this one, which is actually kind of expected, then they'll be facing a deeper hole than they're already in, which also will force management to make some changes.
Carolina is again banking on its defense, and by looking at the previous games of Indianapolis, it seems like defenses are trying to temp Andrew Luck to throw in between the numbers. However, the Panthers are committed to stop the runs with their cornerbacks going head-to-head with the opposition receivers. If there's one thing the Colts can capitalize on, it's the fact that Carolina does not have that good of a home run threat outside.
So the only way for the underdog Colts to pull off a win in this one is if they play their best football of the season. It's really up to Luck to provide a performance that will negate Cam Newton's dominance. They will need to keep it close the entire time to at least allow the game to be decided in the final minutes.
