Panthers favored at -2.5 over Browns as Bryce Young's offense faces Cleveland's home opener

You can go ahead and tell me I’m a glutton for punishment, and maybe I’m a fool, but there are some games that stood out to me this weekend, and both involved teams that hurt me last weekend. I’m not chasing any sort of win; I just feel like this one is the correct angle for the game. Today we start with two teams that both got back on track last weekend as the Panthers take on the Browns.

Lost in the mess that was Week 1 was how good the Panthers offense looked against the Chicago Bears. Of course, the main story was that the Panthers allowed 59 points, but they put up 37 of their own. Bryce Young looked solid in the contest with 361 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception. That’s a game typically good enough to beat most teams. His defense just gave him no help. Even the running game was performing well, but they had to somewhat abandon it.

Last week the team was dominant in a road victory over the Falcons. It wasn’t just an offensive victory; the defense adjusted and held Atlanta to just a field goal in the game. Before you anoint the defense completely back on track, just keep in mind that the Falcons turned the ball over three times. They had almost 100 yards more on the ground, meaning the Panthers have given up a many of yards through two games to opponents' rushing attacks. The offense with Young was still rolling. He threw for another three touchdowns in the game.

The Cleveland Browns broke the hearts of a lot of people last week. That’s nothing new for a franchise that seems to thrive on hurting people’s hearts. However, this time it was because the Browns took down the Buccaneers on the road in Week 2. That knocked out another 30% of the remaining Circa Survivor entries (including mine). But was this the Browns playing great, the Bucs playing bad, or both? It probably lies somewhere in between. Deshaun Watson played a strong game.

After a terrible Week 1, Watson went 24-for-30 through the air with two touchdown passes. He added 22 yards on the ground, which was a team high for the Browns. There also was an act of God that helped the Browns capture the victory. The Buccaneers were mounting a comeback and working the ball downfield when lightning struck. That suspended the game and took away any momentum that Tampa had. The Buccaneers' penalties after the play resumed cost the Bucs the game and put Cleveland at 1-1 after a terrible opener against Jacksonville.

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Something is definitely wrong with Tampa Bay, but I don’t want to take too much away from Cleveland. Watson looked good for the first time in years. Still, I think the line is too low for the Panthers. I know they are playing their second straight road game, and it's a home opener for Cleveland, but the team is significantly better than the Browns. I also think their biggest weakness, the opposing running game, is not a strength of the Browns. Give me Carolina -2.5.

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