5 Key Matchups to Watch in Bills-Panthers Preseason

The Panthers simply could not cover tight ends last year. They had among the worst middle-of-field coverage in the entire NFL. The linebacker corps was lacking in a lot of ways, but that was among the biggest concerns.

Enter Devin Lloyd, one of the best cover LBs in football last season. His first matchup in a Panthers uniform? Dawson Knox and Dalton Kincaid, perhaps the best tight end duo in the NFL. Game on.

James Cook vs. Panthers LBs

Devin Lloyd is included here, but less so. We're not worried about how he holds up against the run. But Trevin Wallace, Claudin Cherilus, Bam Martin-Scott, and the rest have an incredibly difficult matchup ahead of them.

James Cook absolutely, for lack of a better term, cooked this defense last season. If the defense is going to be better, it has to show up, and this is a perfect opportunity for that lackluster unit to prove 2025 is in the rearview mirror.

DJ Moore vs. Panthers CBs

The Panthers don't let Jaycee Horn shadow, so we can't expect a few series of Horn versus his old teammate DJ Moore. We can, however, expect some matchups between Moore and Horn, with Mike Jackson, Will Lee, and probably the slot corners working in, too.

Moore is a shifty receiver who is hard to bring down, and he's good at creating space. The Panthers' zone scheme will be tested by that, so watch for how close Horn and company stick to Moore and how well they can bring him down.

Bradley Chubb vs. Monroe Freeling, Rasheed Walker

We can't expect Bradley Chubb, who was honestly somewhat close to being a Panther this offseason, to line up against Monroe Freeling every time. He will probably move around and match up with different blockers.

That said, we're particularly interested in how well the two starting tackles hold up against someone who still has plenty of juice as a pass rusher. It's also Freeling's first NFL action, so this is a big day for him.

Tetairoa McMillan vs. Bills CBs

Maxwell Hairston and Christian Benford are a fine CB duo, but this has more to do with Tetairoa McMillan. How will he fare in his first real action of year two? He is bigger and stronger, but how will that translate on the field?

Plus, he doesn't know Benford and Hairston like he knows Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson, so this will be a fun test to see where he's at this season.