A year ago, the Panthers came seemingly out of nowhere to deliver the best record in the NFC and earn a spot in Super Bowl 50. This week, they go up against a team that's come seemingly out of nowhere to currently own the No. 1 seed in the AFC. Time will tell whether the Raiders can earn their own trip to the Super Bowl, but with only a one-game lead on both the Broncos and Chiefs, they know that they must keep winning to keep ahead of the pack.
The Raiders have proven nearly impossible for teams to dispatch in the late stages of games this year. Their eight wins include: a TD and two-point conversion in the final minute of Week 1 to beat the Saints by a point; a TD with just over two minutes left to earn another one-point win in Week 4 against the Ravens; and a TD with less than two minutes to send a Week 8 game into OT before scoring another TD to beat the Bucs. They also erased second-half deficits to beat the Texans in Mexico City and the Chargers earlier in the year.
While Oakland's defense has been inconsistent, its offense has been one of the best in the league. Derek Carr has thrown 20 touchdowns against just four interceptions while completing 66.2 percent of his passes, and the rushing game has average 4.6 yards per carry. They'll get the opportunity to shine with the Panthers' defensive leader, Luke Kuechly, sidelined by a concussion.
The Panthers are nowhere near where they wanted to be by this point of the season, staring at a 4-6 record and a tough road ahead to return to the playoffs. While things are bleak, they look much better than they did four weeks ago, as Carolina has rattled off wins in three of its last four games. The offense has had trouble stringing together quality performances; the running game is supposed to be Carolina's bread and butter, but the Panthers rank just 24th in the NFL with 3.8 yards per carry. If things weren't bad enough on that front, offensive-live anchor Ryan Kalil has been ruled out with a shoulder injury, giving an already patchwork Carolina line more to overcome.
Of course, it generally doesn't matter how well 10 of Carolina's offensive starters are playing; as long as Cam Newton is at the top of his game, like he was in last year's MVP campaign, the Panthers have a chance to win every time out. He's been far from MVP caliber this year however, completing a career-worst 56.5 percent of his passes and averaging less than six net yards per pass attempt. He'll need to perform far better on Sunday to keep his team in the playoff hunt.
Can he do it? One thing the NFL has learned in abundance over the years is to never count out Cam Newton. It's a lesson that teams also know well against the 2016 Raiders.
How to Watch
- What: Carolina Panthers vs. Oakland Raiders
- When: Sunday, Nov. 27, 4:25 p.m. ET
- Where: Oakland Coliseum, Oakland, Calif.
- TV: CBS
- Streaming: Verizon NFL Mobile App
- Sunday Ticket: DirecTV
- Online: NFL Game Pass (available to watch online after midnight)
- Odds: The Raiders are 3-point favorites, according to SportsLine.
Injury report
Panthers
- DE Mario Addison (Foot) -- Out
- C Ryan Kalil (Shoulder) -- Out
- LB Luke Kuechly (Concussion) -- Out
- S Tre Boston (Ankle) -- Questionable
- C Gino Gradkowski (knee) -- Questionable
- CB Leonard Johnson (Chest) -- Questionable
- S Colin Jones (Concussion) -- Questionable
- LB A.J. Klein (Concussion) -- Questionable
Raiders
- LB Shilique Calhoun (Knee) -- Out
- CB David Amerson (Knee) -- Questionable
- WR Michael Crabtree (Ankle) -- Questionable
- C Rodney Hudson (Knee) -- Questionable
- DT Stacy McGee (Ankle) -- Questionable
- DB Keith McGill (Abdomen) -- Questionable
- RB Latavius Murray (Ankle) -- Questionable
- G Kelechi Osemele (Knee) -- Questionable
- LB Perry Riley (Hamstring) -- Questionable
Prisco's Pick
The Panthers are fighting for their playoff lives, which will show up there. Cam Newton will move the football on the Oakland defense to keep it close. The Raiders will score through the air against the Carolina secondary. It will be fun to watch, but Raiders win a close one.
Pick: Raiders 27, Panthers 26