What the ESPN FPI Says About the Panthers' Chances vs the Cowboys

It's hard to believe we are already in week four of the NFL season, but here we are. The Carolina Panthers are riding into this week's game with a 3-0 record as they pay a visit to Jerry's World and the 2-1 Dallas Cowboys.

Carolina defeated Houston 24-9 last Thursday night but left that game with a handful of injuries including the likes of RB Christian McCaffrey, CB Jaycee Horn, and S Juston Burris. Even with the few extra days of rest in between games, the Panthers will be without all three of them. Horn and Burris have been placed on injured reserve while McCaffrey is expected to miss the next couple of weeks.

Can a Christian McCaffrey-less Panthers team defeat a red hot Cowboys offense? The short answer is yes, they're more than capable. Carolina has the best defense in the NFL regardless of what statistical category you look at. If the Panthers can apply a ton of pressure on QB Dak Prescott and force Dallas into some 3rd & longs, it could be a long day for the Cowboys. On the other hand, Dallas' defense is very suspect. They looked good on Monday night but that was against the Eagles and I'm not sure looking good against the Eagles means much.

According to the ESPN FPI, the Panthers have a 41.9% chance to win while the Cowboys have a 57.8% chance.

Kickoff between Carolina and Dallas is set for 1 p.m. on FOX.

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