When The Packers Have The Ball:

Mike McCarthy and Aaron Rodgers have a system in place that allows the quarterback a great deal of leeway when it comes to calling and changing things at the line of scrimmage. Rodgers will most likely not need to do too much today. The Panthers were soft against the run throughout preseason, didn't look much better in last weeks opener and now must deal with the loss of their best defensive player in Jon Beason. Panthers defensive coordinator Sean McDermott is running a scheme similar to the one he was in charge of in Philadelphia last year, the same defense that James Starks ripped through in the first round of the playoffs - a game that helped cost McDermott his job.

The Packers' perimeter players also have a distinct edge vs the Panthers secondary, with the likes of Chris Gamble most likely getting the assignment of slowing down Greg Jennings. Even more worrisome for the Panthers is tight end Jermichael Finley. When McDermott faced the Packers in Week One of the 2010 season, he made certain that Finley would not beat them, keying on the young tight end in nearly every passing situation.

The running game should open up plenty of opportunities for Jennings and the rest of the receiving corps, forcing the Panthers into a two-high safety look. When that happens, expect Finley to make plenty happen over the middle of the field. The Panthers simply don't have the horses to keep up on defense.

When The Panthers Have The Ball:

Cam Newton was the talk of the NFL this week with his record-setting performance against a sloppy and undisciplined Cardinals defense. The Packers looked surprisingly vulnerable themselves against Drew Brees and the Saints high-powered offense. Which performance was indicative of what we can expect from each in 2011? In truth, probably neither.

The Packers will most likely be without Tramon Williams, which shouldn't be an issue. While it would be preferable to be able to use Williams against Carolina wideout Steve Smith, Sam Shields should be up to the task. One thing the Packers need to guard against is paying too much attention to Smith and forgetting about tight end Greg Olsen. The Packers are obviously familiar with Olsen from his time with the Bears, but he's finally with a coordinator in Rob Chudzinski and in a system that will feature his strengths in a way Mike Martz never did. The Packers will most likely mix up their coverages but look for Charles Woodson to man-up on Olsen a great deal.

Overall, the Panthers want to run the ball and get in favorable down and distances for their young quarterback. Last week they weren't able to run at all but it didn't matter as Newton was simply phenomenal on third down. If they continue to struggle running the ball you can expect undrafted rookie Byron Bell, starting for the injured Jeff Otah, to get a ton of help against Clay Matthews. If and when that happens, guys like Erik Walden and Jarrett Bush will need to win on the outside against one on ones to get pressure on Newton and make him uncomfortable. The rookie was given incredible amounts of time to survey the field last week - that will come to an abrupt end today.

Enough Already, Who Wins?:

The Panthers have renewed energy and a sense of direction under new head coach Ron Rivera. This is a team and an organization filled with confidence heading into this game (imagine if they had actually won last week...) but this matchup against the Champs will be a wake up call that lets them know just how far they have to go in their rebuilding efforts.

Packers: 35

Panthers: 17