| Cam Newton set a career high in rushing last week. (AP Images) |
Giants at Panthers -- Week 3
Where: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC. (grass, outdoors)
When: Thursday, 8:20 p.m. ET (NFL Network)
Spread: Giants by 1.5
Forecast: Cloudy, high-50s
Records: Giants (Overall: 1-1, NFC East: 0-1); Panthers (Overall: 1-1, NFC South: 1-1)
Past results: Two most recent meetings -- Sept. 2, 2010: Giants 31, Panthers 18; Dec. 27, 2009: Panthers 41, Giants 9. Series record: The Panthers lead 4-3.
What matters: The Panthers increased their rushing production by more than 200 yards from Week 1 to Week 2. The Giants’ defense is 24th in the NFL in yards-per-rush. The Panthers had several missed tackles on defense, which needs to be cleaned up against a Giants offense that generated more than 600 yards on Sunday.
Who matters: Wide receiver Brandon LaFell established himself as a big-play threat against the Saints. He had a 25-yard rush and 90 yards receiving on six catches. That helps free up Steve Smith, who had his 40th career 100-yard receiving game, on the other side. Quarterback Eli Manning had 510 yards passing and led the Giants to a comeback win over Tampa Bay.
Key matchups: Giants receiver Victor Cruz vs. Panthers cornerback Josh Norman. The Panthers’ fifth-round draft pick fell down in coverage, allowing a long completion to set up a Saints score. He’ll need to avoid big mistakes if he's matched up with Cruz, who combined with Hakeem Nicks to make 21 catches and 378 yards last week. But the Panthers won't have to contend with Nicks, who has been ruled out for the game because of a foot injury. … Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul vs. Panthers quarterback Cam Newton. Pierre-Paul sacked Tampa QB Josh Freeman once, but in general, the team’s pass rush has struggled to apply pressure. Newton is coming off a career-high in rushing yards, which means the Giants will need to have disciplined play and clean tackling to contain him.
Injuries of note: The short week comes at a bad time for the Panthers. Nine players missed Monday’s practice with injuries. Linebacker Jon Beason (elbow), C Ryan Kalil (ankle) and WR Steve Smith (knee) returned on Tuesday in limited fashion. Tackle Byron Bell (ankle), RB Jonathan Stewart (ankle) and LB Thomas Davis (hamstring) missed Tuesday as well. For the Giants, Nicks (foot), RB Ahmad Bradshaw (neck) and T David Diehl didn’t practice.
Inside stuff: Newton and Manning each got more than half of their passing yards against the blitz on Sunday. Newton was 9 for 12 with 129 yards and a TD pass against the blitz last Sunday. Manning was 8 for 24 for 284 and two TDs.
Connections: Giants RB Andre Brown played for the Panthers in 2010. Panthers OL coach John Matsko was a Giants assistant in 1997 and 1998.
Stat you should know: The Giants have scored first in both of their games, but they’ve led for a total of just three minutes, 59 seconds after the first quarter.
Record watch: With 70 yards rushing, Bradshaw will move past Doug Kotar into eigth place on the Giants career rushing list. Kicker Lawrence Tynes next FG attempt will break a tie with Pat Summerall for fourth place on the Giants list.
Bulletin board quote: Panthers offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski on the short week: "I didn’t even get a chance to come out and give my wife a kiss after the game. We just went straight back to the office and started looking at Giants tape."
Looking ahead: The Panthers go back to the NFC South division with a trip to Atlanta, the only division opponent they haven’t played yet this season.
Prediction: Giants 35, Panthers 31
For more up-to-the-minute news and analysis on the Carolina Panthers from blogger Shawn Krest, follow @CBSPanthers.