Panthers Host Cowboys on Kickoff Weekend Carolina Vs
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BANK OF AMERICA STADIUM (73,778) / SEPTEMBER 9, 2018 • 4:25 PM / PANTHERS.COM CAROLINA PANTHERS (0-0) VS. DALLAS COWBOYS (0-0) PANTHERS HOST COWBOYS ON KICKOFF WEEKEND CAROLINA VS. DALLAS STATISTICAL SNAPSHOT Carolina opens the 2018 season at home against the Dallas Cowboys in the Below are the final 2017 regular season averages and NFL rank- late afternoon national game of NFL Kickoff Weekend. ings for Carolina and Dallas in some key statistical categories: This year marks just the second time under head coach Ron Rivera, and first time since 2013, that the Panthers have opened the season at home. Carolina Dallas Carolina is 3-4 in openers under Rivera. The Panthers are 9-14 on Kickoff OFFENSE Avg. Rank Avg. Rank Weekend all-time while the Cowboys are 38-19, tying with Denver for the Total Yards Per Game 323.7 19th 331.9 14th highest winning percentage all-time. Rushing Yards Per Game 131.4 4th 135.6 2nd Dallas leads the all-time series against Carolina, 9-4, and is 9-2 against Rushing Yards Per Attempt 4.3 10th 4.5 3rd the Panthers in the regular season. Carolina will be searching for its first Passing Net Yards Per Game 192.3 28th 196.3 26th home victory against Dallas in the regular season. Sunday marks the first Sacks Per Pass Play 6.5% 17th 6.0% 14th time that Carolina and Dallas have ever met in a season opener. Sacks Allowed 35 13th(t) 32 10th Carolina enters 2018 after an 11-5 season and a playoff berth as the fifth Third Down Efficiency 41.9% 7th 42.9% 5th seed in the NFC playoffs. The Panthers advanced to the postseason for the Points Per Game 22.7 12th 22.1 14th fourth time in five seasons, tied for the most in the NFC over that span. DEFENSE This season, the Panthers welcome a number of new weapons, especially Total Yards Per Game 317.1 7th 318.1 8th on the offensive side of the ball. Carolina drafted DJ Moore, the first wide Rushing Yards Per Game 88.1 3rd 104.0 8th receiver taken in the 2018 NFL Draft. They also added veterans Torrey Smith Rushing Yards Per Attempt 3.9 11th 4.1 18th and Jarius Wright to the receiver room. The Panthers also signed running Passing Net Yards Per Game 229.1 18th 214.1 11th back C.J. Anderson who is fresh off his first career 1,000-yard rushing 8.3% 3rd 6.3% 16th season in Denver. Sacks Per Pass Play Sacks 50 3rd 38 15th(t) Defensively, the Panthers drafted cornerback Donte Jackson in the second Third Down Efficiency 37.9% 13th 42.9% 29th round and safety Rashaan Gaulden in the third round. They signed defen- Points Per Game 20.4 10th(t) 20.8 13th(t) sive tackle Dontari Poe and safety Da'Norris Searcy. 2017 Individual Leaders BROADCAST INFORMATION Passing Yds Cmp% TD INT Rtg Cam Newton, Car. 3302 59.1 22 16 80.7 Dak Prescott, Dal. 3324 62.9 22 13 86.6 TELEVISION RADIO FLAGSHIP Rushing Att Yds Avg Lng TD FOX WBT-AM Cam Newton, Car. 139 754 5.4 69 6 (WJZY in Charlotte) (1110 AM/99.3 FM in Charlotte) Ezekiel Elliott, Dal. 242 983 4.1 30 7 Play-by-Play: Joe Buck Play-by-Play: Mick Mixon Analyst: Troy Aikman Analyst: Jim Szoke Receiving Rec Yds Avg Lng TD Erin Andrews Sideline: Analyst: Eugene Robinson Devin Funchess, Car. 63 840 13.3 44 8 Rules Analyst: Mike Pereira Sideline: Sharon Thorsland Dez Bryant, Dal.* 69 838 12.1 50t 6 *-no longer with team SPANISH RADIO WGSP-FM (102.3 FM in Charlotte) Play-by-Play: Jaime Moreno Analyst: Luis Moreno, Jr. WEEK ONE: CAROLINA PANTHERS VS. DALLAS COWBOYS PANTHERS BESTS VS. DALLAS THE SERIES Rushing yards: 138, Fred Lane at Dallas (12/8/97) Dallas leads the all-time series against Carolina, 9-4, and is 9-2 against Receiving yards: 137, Steve Smith at Carolina (12/22/07) the Panthers in the regular season. Below are all the games in the series Receptions: 9, Steve Smith at Carolina (12/22/07) against Dallas. Passing yards: 286, Steve Beuerlein at Dallas (10/11/98) Date Location Score 11/26/2015 Dallas Carolina 33 Dallas 14 10/21/2012 Carolina Dallas 19 Carolina 14 09/28/2009 Dallas Dallas 21 Carolina 7 12/22/2007 Carolina Dallas 20 Carolina 13 10/29/2006 Carolina Dallas 35 Carolina 14 12/24/2005 Carolina Dallas 24 Carolina 20 2003 NFC Wild Card Game Steve Smith had nine catches for 137 yards against Dallas in 2007. 01/03/2004 Carolina Carolina 29 Dallas 10 THE SERIES 11/23/2003 Dallas Dallas 24 Carolina 20 Dallas leads the all-time series against Carolina, 9-4, and is 9-2 against the Panthers in the regular season. Three of the Panthers four victories 10/13/2002 Dallas Dallas 14 Carolina 13 came in big moments including home wins in the playoffs in the 1996 and 10/01/2000 Carolina Dallas 16 Carolina 13 OT 2003 seasons and a Thanksgiving afternoon victory in the teams’ most 10/11/1998 Dallas Dallas 27 Carolina 20 recent meeting in Dallas in 2015. Prior to the game in 2015, Dallas had won five in a row in the series. Carolina will be searching for its first home 12/08/1997 Dallas Carolina 23 Dallas 13 victory against Dallas in the regular season. Sunday marks the first time that Carolina and Dallas have ever met in a season opener. 1996 NFC Divisional Playoff Game BY THE NUMBERS 01/05/1997 Carolina Carolina 26 Dallas 17 Record vs. Cowboys: 4-9 Home Record vs. Cowboys: 2-5 Last game: Carolina 33 Dallas 14 (11/26/15) INDIVIDUAL CAREER STATS VS. DALLAS Last game at BofA Stadium: Dallas 19 Carolina 14 (10/21/12) Cam Newton (2 gms): 208.0 pass yd/gm, 57.8 comp %, 1 pass TD, 1 Last Panthers win: Carolina 33 Dallas 14 (11/26/15) INT, 76.0 rtg, 54.5 rush yd/gm, 1 rush TD Last Cowboys win: Dallas 19 Carolina 14 (10/21/12) Greg Olsen (2 gms): 50.5 rec yd/gm, 0 rec TD, 70 rec yds game high Devin Funchess (1 gm): 19.0 rec yd/gm, 0 rec, 19 rec yds game high Panthers largest winning margin: 19, twice Julius Peppers (6 gms): 7.0 sacks, 3 TFL, 3 hurries, 2 INTs, 1 FF Cowboys largest winning margin: 21 at Carolina (10/29/06) Luke Kuechly (2 gms): 11.0 tackles/gm, 2 INTs, 1 INT ret for TD Current series streak: Carolina W1 (2015-) Graham Gano (1 gm): 4-5 FG, 3-3 XP, 50 FG long Panthers longest winning streak: 2 gms (1997) Cowboys longest winning streak: 5 gms (2005-12) Most points, Panthers: 33 at Dallas (11/26/15) Most points, Cowboys: 35 at Carolina (10/29/06) Fewest points, Panthers: 7 at Dallas (9/28/09) Fewest points, Cowboys: 10 at Carolina (1/3/04) WEEK ONE: CAROLINA PANTHERS VS. DALLAS COWBOYS NOTABLE CONNECTIONS Coaching connections • Dallas head coach Jason Garrett played under Norv Turner for the Dallas Cowboys in 1993. • Dallas defensive assistant Ken Amato was once a Panther, in brief stints in 2002 and 2003. • Dallas running backs coach Gary Brown worked with the Panthers in 2007 as a part of the NFL’s Minority Coaching Fellowship program. • Dallas assistant special teams coach Doug Colman coached linebackers at Coastal Carolina University from 2012-13. • Dallas offensive assistant Stephen Brown is from Charlotte, N.C. Area Connections • Panthers defensive coordinator Eric Washington coached at Texas A&M University in 1997. • Panthers tight ends coach Pete Hoener coached at Texas Christian University from 1992-97 and at Texas A&M University in 2000. • Panthers safety Colin Jones is from Bridgeport, Texas and attended Texas Christian University. • Panthers tackle Daryl Williams is from Lake Dallas, Texas. • Dallas center Joe Looney played collegiately at Wake Forest. • Dallas linebacker Joe Thomas is a native of Blackville, S.C., and played collegiately at South Carolina State. • Dallas defensive end Demarcus Lawrence is a native of Aiken, S.C. College Connections • Panthers linebacker David Mayo attended Texas State. • Dallas linebacker Chris Covington played with Carolina rookie Ian Thomas at Indiana. • Dallas safety Xavier Woods played with Carolina defensive tackle Vernon Butler at Louisiana Tech. • Dallas offensive lineman La’el Collins played with Carolina offensive lineman Trai Turner at LSU. • Dallas wide receiver Allen Hurns played with Carolina cornerback Corn Elder at Miami. • Dallas cornerback Jourdan Lewis and defensive end Taco Charlton played with Carolina wide receiver Devin Funchess at Michigan under current Carolina defensive line coach Brady Hoke. • Dallas running back Rod Smith, running back Ezekiel Elliot, and wide receiver Noah Brown played with Carolina wide receiver Curtis Samuel at Ohio State. • Dallas cornerback Anthony Brown played with Carolina defensive tackle Kawaan Short at Purdue. • Dallas tight end Dalton Schultz played with Carolina running back Christian McCaffrey at Stanford. • Dallas defensive tackle Antwaun Woods and offensive tackle Tyron Smith played with Carolina's Wes Horton at Southern Cal. THE HEAD COACHES Ron RIVERA Jason GARRETT NFL: 22nd season NFL: 14th season Panthers HC: 8th season Cowboys HC: 8th season Regular Season: 64-47-1 (.576) Regular Season: 62-50 (.553) Postseason: 3-4 (.429) Postseason: 1-2 (.333) Ron Rivera became the fourth coach in Carolina Panthers history Jason Garrett was named the eighth head coach in Dallas Cowboys on January 11, 2011.