The Buffalo Bills will visit the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Week 8 as they exit their bye weekend.
For this cross-conference battle between Sean McDermott’s Bills (4-2) and Dave Canales’ Panthers (4-3), it will be the games, within the game, that will make all the difference.
Here are Bills Wire’s three key matchups to watch during Week 8’s Bills vs. Panthers matchup:
LB Terrel Bernard vs. RB Rico Dowdle
Assuming Bernard plays as he is listed as day-to-day, he has to be on top of his game against the Panthers. Carolina has an elite rushing attack from their backfield. Dowdle has taken the lead in recent weeks and as a team the Panthers are the third-best rushing offense in the NFL. Dowdle is third in terms of rushing yards (336) as well.
Bernard is not on his own in stopping an entire ground game. He is the quarterback of the Bills defense, though.
OL Connor McGovern vs. DT Derrick Brown
Likewise to Bernard, it’s not all on McGovern, but the center leads the way for an offensive line. Brown is an elite defensive tackle and has to be accounted for. Pro Football Focus has him graded as the second-best tackle in the NFL currently.
DT Ed Oliver vs. OL Cade Mays
The Panthers have a steady offensive line. Mays might be the weak link in the middle. However, PFF does still grade him a decent 65.6 overall grade so fast in 2025.
Paging Ed Oliver…
Oliver is Buffalo’s best defensive lineman. With backup quarterback Andy Dalton potentially starting, Oliver getting in his face will go a long way.
This article originally appeared on Bills Wire: Buffalo Bills at Carolina Panthers: 3 key matchups to watch in Week 8
Reporting by Nick Wojton, USA TODAY / Bills Wire
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