Panthers’ Youthful Secondary to Take a Lesson From Two of the Best
With two rookie cornerbacks starting on the outside for Carolina’s defense, the Raiders’ elite receiving duo in Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree could quickly steal the show for the Raiders’ offense.
Former second-round pick James Bradberry has exceeded expectations at times, but he has also been on the wrong end of some big plays, too. At 6’1”, 210 pounds, the former Samford stud can run with some of the bigger receivers in the league, but he is still adapting to the speed of the NFL and still needs time to catch up.
Opposite of Bradberry, Daryl Worley, a third-round pick out of West Virginia, has struggled immensely in comparison to Bradberry, so look for Carr to look his way early and often.
Like his counterpart, Worley stands at 6’1” and can remain physical against bigger receivers. However, he is much better in run support than in coverage, especially against quick, athletic receivers.
Cooper and Crabtree are both on pace for Pro Bowl bids, as the two have combined for 114 receptions for 1,501 yards, nine touchdowns and 73 first down receptions.
With the advantage obviously in the Raiders’ corner, Cooper and Crabtree must keep the Panthers’ underdogs from pulling off a Cinderella story on Sunday by landing some hard jabs early.
Prediction: Oakland Raiders 31; Carolina Panthers 28