The Carolina Panthers hit the road in Week Nine, traveling to Ohio to take on AFC North opponent, the Cincinnati Bengals. The Panthers enter the week with a record of 2-6 after falling to the Atlanta Falcons in an overtime thriller by a score of 37-34. The Panthers are currently 2-1 in the NFC South division. Cincinnati enters Week Nine with a record of 4-4 after most recently falling to the Cleveland Browns 32-13. The Bengals fall to 0-3 in the AFC North division.
This will mark just the seventh time the Bengals and Panthers have clashed, and just the third time the Panthers have played the Bengals in Cincinnati. The last time the Panthers traveled to Ohio, the two teams ended in a tie, 37-37 in overtime (10/12/14). This will mark the Panthers second of four matchups against AFC North teams.
The Numbers
About Carolina
- Running back D’Onta Foreman broke the 100-yard rushing mark in back-to-back weeks for the first time in his career. He finished the game with 118 yards on 26 carries (4.5 yards per carry).
- Cornerback Donte Jackson intercepted Falcons’ quarterback Marcus Mariota on the first drive of the game, giving him 14 career interceptions as a Panther. Jackson is now tied for fifth in franchise history with Richard Marshall and Doug Evans (14).
- Derrick Brown is tied for second league-wide among defensive linemen and fourth on the team with 40 total tackles. In just eight games, Brown has nearly matched his career-high for tackles in an entire season after posting 41 total tackles a season ago (34 in 2020).
- WR DJ Moore finished last week’s loss to Atlanta with 6 receptions for 152 yards and a touchdown. Moore’s 152 receiving yards is the second most in his career (career-high 157 yards, 11/18/18 against Detriot). Moore joined Willie Green, Muhsin Muhammad, Patrick Jeffers, and Steve Smith as the only players in franchise history to have multiple games of at least 150 receiving yards and a touchdown.
- Brian Burns has played in 56 career games. He ranks 2nd in franchise history in sacks through a player’s first 55 games, only trailing Julius Peppers (36.5 sacks, 2002-05) with 30.5 sacks. Burns is currently tied for fifth league-wide with eight tackles for loss.
- In Week Eight against the Falcons, PJ Walker finished the game completing 19 of 36 passes for a career-high 317 yards, including a 62-yard touchdown pass to DJ Moore with 24 seconds left in regulation. His touchdown pass traveled 67.6 yards in the air, the longest completion by air distance in the Next Gen Stats era (since 2016). After just completing six of 15 passes in the first half, Walker led a 24-point second half, completing 13 of 21 passes for 250 yards.
- Since Week Three, the Panthers’ defense is tied for 11th league-wide forcing eight total takeaways during that span.
- The Panthers’ defense has allowed just one opening drive touchdown in their last 25 games, the fewest in the NFL over that span.
About Cincinnati
- QB Joe Burrow passed for 232 yards and 2 TDs with 96.4 rating in Week 8. He aims for 4th in row with 2+ TD passes & 95 rating. Has 325+ pass yards & 2+ TD passes in 5 of his past 6 home starts. Burrow leads NFL with 2,329 pass yards this season & has 3 games with 300+ pass yards, tied-2nd most in NFL and aims for his 3rd start in row vs. NFC South with 300+ pass yards & 3+ TD passes.
- RB Joe Mixon aims for 6th in row with 50+ scrimmage yards and for his 3rd in row at home with rush TD. He has 85+ scrimmage yards in 4 of past 5 at home.
- DE Sam Hubbard had 9 tackles, a sack and a forced fumble in Week 8. He’s the only player in NFL with 0.5+ sacks & PD in 3 games this season and aims for 4th in row with 0.5+ sacks.
- WR Tee Higgins had 49 rec. yards and a TD catch last week. He has 5+ catches in 5 games this season and aims for 3rd in row at home with 5+ catches & 90+ rec. yards.
- S Vonn Bell had 0.5 sacks and an INT last week. Had 9 tackles, TFL & PD in his last game vs. Car. (11/24/19 w/ NO) and has 7+ tackles, TFL & PD in 2 of his past 3 vs. Carolina.
Connections
- Panthers G Michael Jordan played for the Bengals from 2019-2020. Jordan also attended Ohio State from 2016-2019.
- Panthers FB Giovanni Ricci is a native of Loveland, OH and attended Loveland High School.
- Bengals head coach Zac Taylor began his college football career at Wake Forest from 2002-2003.
- Bengals wide receivers coach Troy Walters coached the wide receivers at NC State in 2012.
- Bengals linebackers coach James Bettcher was a graduate assistant at North Carolina from 2007-2009.
- Bengals secondary and safeties coach Robert Livingston is a native of Hendersonville, NC and attended Hendersonville high school.
- Bengals S Jessie Bates III played at Wake Forest in 2016.
- Bengals OT D’Ante Smith attended East Carolina from 2016-2020.
- Bengals G Jackson Carman played at Clemson from 2018-2020.
- Bengals WR Tee Higgins played at Clemson from 2017-2019.
- Bengals TE Hayden Hurst played at South Carolina from 2015-2017.
- Bengals ST B.J. Hill is a native of Oakboro, NC and attended West Stanly high school. He went on to attend NC State from 2014-2017.
- Bengals DE Jeff Gunter is a native of Durham, NC and attended Riverside high school. He went on to attend Costal Carolina from 2017-2018 and then from 2020-2021. He attended NC State in 2019.
- Bengals LB Germaine Pratt is a native of High Point, NC and attended High Point Central high school. He went on to attend NC State from 2014-2018.
- Bengals LB Akeem Davis-Gaither is a native of Thomasville, NC and attended Thomasville high school. He went on to attend App State from 2015-2019.
Panthers vs Bengals
ALL-TIME SERIES: 6 total matchups | Carolina leads the series 3-2-1
LAST REGULAR SEASON GAME: 9/23/18 | Carolina 31 vs Cincinnati 21
SERIES RECORD AT VENUE: Carolina trails Cincinnati 0-1-1 in games on the road
How to Watch
Kickoff: 1:00 p.m. ET FOX – Kevin Kugler, Mark Sanchez, Laura Okmin
Live Stream: Panthers.com
Radio: WRFX 99.7FM in Charlotte market; On The Call: Anish Shroff, Jake Delhomme, Luke Kuechly, Kristen Balboni, Jim Szoke
Per Release