Panthers vs. Jaguars: 5 key matchups to watch in Week 1

When the Carolina Panthers head down to Florida to take on the Jacksonville Jaguars, it won't just be a matchup of two teams. There are always matchups within matchups in football, and these five are ones you're going to need to keep an eye on for the Panthers' season opener.

Ejiro Evero vs. Liam Coen

It's Liam Coen's first NFL game as a head coach after his ascension from Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator. It's maybe Ejiro Evero's last chance as a defensive coordinator in Carolina. He hasn't had a great run, though awful personnel plays a part.

No one's under the illusion that the Panthers have a good defense now, but Evero will need to use his schemes and playcalling to outwit Coen on the other side. He's a rookie head coach, but he is a gifted offensive coordinator, so Evero has his work cut out for him.

Panthers pass rush vs. Trevor Lawrence

The Panthers' secondary is not in great shape, which means Trevor Lawrence, Brian Thomas Jr., and Travis Hunter might be in for a good day. The pass rush, which is also not in great shape, has to be able to help.

It should be a better pass rush than last year, as the Panthers will have DJ Wonnum, Pat Jones, Princely Umanmielen, and Nic Scourton (barring setbacks in injury recovery), so they should have a stronger rush. It just needs to actually get home against Lawrence for the defense to not get picked apart.

Chau Smith-Wade vs. Travis Hunter

Jaycee Horn doesn't shadow, and even if he did, he'd cover Brian Thomas Jr. There are going to be plenty of reps for Chau Smith-Wade against Travis Hunter. He is a rookie, but he's a gifted wide receiver.

Smith-Wade needs to have a strong performance, but he might not have the worst job in the world. Hunter is also going to play some (albeit as a backup) cornerback snaps as well, so fatigue and exhaustion will work to Smith-Wade's favor.

Yosh Nijman (or insert tackle) vs. Josh Allen

Ikem Ekwonu had surgery, so his status for Week 1 is totally up in the air. That could leave the left tackle duties to Yosh Nijman or someone else, and they're going to have to protect Bryce Young from Josh Allen, the Jags' best edge rusher.

The Jaguars had a weak pass rush last season, but it figures to be a backup tackle against their best edge rusher, which isn't a recipe for success no matter what last year's metrics suggest. Nijman, or Ekwonu if he's healthy, is going to have to lock in.

Chuba Hubbard vs. Devin Lloyd

Devin Lloyd is a great linebacker, so expect to hear his name a lot. He'll be making a lot of tackles in the run game, so it'll be on Chuba Hubbard to make the most of his touches before Lloyd gets involved.

Hubbard is going to be the lead back and Carolina projects to run the ball a lot if they're able, so this will be a crucial matchup that determines whether or not Carolina can stick to the plan or take to the skies.

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