Top 5 Panthers vs. Packers Matchups To Watch In Week 7

Kelvin Benjamin may be getting all of the hype, but the Panthers' passing game runs through Greg Olsen. Cam Newton is always looking for Olsen on third down, and that connection has extended a lot of drives this season. It will be important for the Packers to neutralize his impact on the game.

It's no secret that the Packers' defense has struggled with the read-option in recent years. Just last week, they gave up a 40-yard run to Ryan Tannehill when he decided to keep the ball. Now they face Cam Newton, who ran 17 times for 107 yards last week. Containing Newton and the Panthers' run game will be a top priority for the Packers.

Aaron Rodgers has to be excited to be going against the Panthers' secondary this week. It is an obvious mismatch on paper, which means the Panthers goal has to be to minimize the damage. That means not giving up big plays, which is not easy to do against the Packers' offense.

Stopping Cam Newton on the ground will be one thing, but anyone who has watched Newton this year realizes how well he is passing the ball. He will need to continue throwing at a high-level against the Packers' secondary, which has a knack for creating turnovers. Avoiding the mistake may be just as important as making the big play this week for Newton.

This picture of Andy Dalton pretty much sums up the amount of pressure Carolina's pass rush produced last week. Their biggest strength from a year ago has turned into a glaring weakness. A weakness that will be fatally exposed by Aaron Rodgers if it continues. Rodgers has been playing at a ridiculous level even with poor pass protection. The Panthers will not be able to stay in this game without an improved pass rush.