Thanks for checking out my review of the Panthers 16 to 10 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars. In a game that featured a period of substantial rain, Cam Newton earned the first win of his NFL career over the Jaguars.

After setting the world on fire in his first two games, Cam Newton came back to earth against the Jaguars. Cam Newton played like a rookie quarterback with accuracy issues for most of the game. Then when it was showtime in the fourth quarte Newton stepped up and helped win the game. Cam Newton threw the game winning touchdown pass to Olsen which was a 16 yarder in the last period of the game.

Cam Newton completed 18 of 34 passes in the win over Jacksonville for 158 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions.Newton had issues early with wild passes but at least he didn’t turn the ball over. Cam Newton also ran for 27 yards and eluded several sacks with his great mobility.

Jonathan Stewart continues to show why he should be the feature running back. Stewart ran for 59 yards on 10 carries and added three receptions including an 18 yarder. DeAngelo Williams is still struggling and had 10 carries for 18 yards and added three catches.

Tight end Greg Olsen had a nice day with seven receptions including the game winner. Jeremy Shockey had three catches as the tight ends and running backs did most of the catching. Steve Smith was held to two receptions for 15 yards against the Jaguars.

James Anderson was the defensive star of the Jaguars game for the Panthers. Anderson had eight tackles with one assist. Linebacker Jason Williams also had a nice game with six tackles and one assist. Charles “Big Money” Johnson had three tackles and one sack which went for a safety.

As I feared Maurice Jones-Drew had a big game against the Panthers with 122 yards on 24 carries  in Jacksonville’s loss to Carolina. Still the Panthers did a good job against him for the majority of the game. Jones-Drew didn’t have a bunch of six to eight yard runs that wear down a defense.

Jacksonville’s own rookie quarterback Blaine Gabbert had a decent game as a passer. Gabbert completed 12 of 21 for 139 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Gabbert did struggle with taking snaps and had three fumbles.

I was impressed that Cam Newton kept his head in the game despite the weather and his early struggles. The Panthers kept the game close then won it in the fourth quarter, the sign of an improving team. Next week the Panthers travel to Chicago, please check back here soon for my preview of that game.

Thanks for reading my preview of the Jacksonville Jaguars and Carolina Panthers game to be played on Sunday September 25^th 2011 in Charlotte. This will be a battle of rookie quarterbacks as Cam Newton will be facing Blaine Gabbert of the Jacksonville Jaguars, in Gabbert’s first NFL start.

In my preview of the Jacksonville Jaguars against the Carolina Panthers I will explain what I think needs to happen for a Panther win. To check out some stuff on the Jacksonville Jaguars you can visit Roger Gonzalez’s Jag Journal.

There are three keys to the Carolina Panthers beating the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday. And to be honest two are keys to winning most NFL games but this one in particular.

Key to the Panthers beating the Jaguars- Time of Possession

Both the Jaguars and Panthers have the edge over their opponents in time of possession during the previous two games in the 2011 NFL season. Teams with young quarterbacks like Gabbert and Newton need to win the time of possession battle. To do that it indicates a lack of turnovers and a successful running game for the offense. With the injuries on the Panthers defense this is key for a Carolina win. Beason and Davis are out for the year and Charles Godfrey will miss the Jacksonville game.

Key to the Panthers beating the Jaguars- Turnovers

So far in 2011 the Panthers are -3 in turnovers while the Jaguars are at -2. Whoever wins the turnover battle will also win most NFL games. With two rookie quarterbacks like Cam Newton and Blaine Gabbert playing, you can expect some turnovers. Turnovers often cause a shift in a game’s momentum and also can give your offense a short field to work with.

Key to the Panthers beating the Jaguars- Stop Maurice Jones-Drew

Maurice Jones-Drew has 185 yards so far in 2011 and is averaging a nice 4.4 yards per carry. Jones-Drew will be the focal point of the Jaguars offense as he can take the pressure off of Gabbert. The fact that Carolina is banged up on defense and letting opponents run for 4.8 yards per carry does not bode well for the Panthers stopping Maurice Jones-Drew.

I feel that the best chance Carolina has of stopping Maurice Jones-Drew is to get an early lead and keep it. The Panthers need to force Jacksonville into passing mode and make Blaine Gabbert beat them.

The Carolina Panthers must improve their Red Zone offense and capitalize on any scoring opportunities early to beat the Jaguars. My prediction is that Cam Newton and the Panthers get their first win of the season by the score of 27 to 21.

Thanks for checking out my preview of the Jaguars and Panthers game please feel free to leave a comment. All stats mentioned come from NFL.com.