Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott looks at his tablet after a play during first half action of the Bills home game against the New Orleans Saints in Orchard Park on Sept. 28, 2025. Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

NFL Network lays out how the Carolina Panthers can upset the Buffalo Bills

Originally posted on Carolina Panthers on SI
By Tim Weaver | Last updated Oct 25, 2025 12:00 PM ET

The last three games on the Carolina Panthers' 2025 slate represents the toughest portion of their schedule. That's when they'll face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers twice in three weeks, sandwiched by a home game against the Seattle Seahawks.

The next two games on Carolina's schedule are a close second, though. Tomorrow they will host reigning league MVP Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills. Then, they will visit the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field.

Both opponents rank among the top-five in best Super Bowl odds. However, unlike Green Bay Buffalo does have one big weakness that can be exploited. Here's NFL Network's Cameron Wolfe breaking down the Panthers' path to an upset this week.

Panthers will start backup QB Andy Dalton but don’t sleep on their chance to punch with Bills Sunday.

Their path to win centers on controlling the game with physical RB duo of Rico Dowdle & Chuba Hubbard. The matchup looks good! Tune in.

For @nflnetwork The Insiders: pic.twitter.com/ldE9cziWNH
— Cameron Wolfe (@CameronWolfe) October 24, 2025

Heading into Week 8, only the Miami Dolphins are giving up more rushing yards per game than the Bills (156.3). Meanwhile, Buffalo is only allowing 167.2 yards per game through the air, which is the second-fewest in the league coming in.

It doesn't take a genius to figure out that the Panthers need to take a run-first approach to tomorrow's game.

It's not enough simply to run the ball, though. The details matter more than ever for Carolina's rushing attack, which has developed a split personality.

On the one hand, there's Chuba Hubbard, who returned to the lineup last week and continued his disappointing 2025 performance, averaging just 2.2 yards per carry against the Jets. Then there's breakout superstar Rico Dowdle, who was once again far more efficient, averaging 4.6.

The split breaks down into a pretty simple formula - the Panthers alternated their backs last week on each drive. In the end that worked out to a higher snap count and more work for Hubbard.

Needless to say, head coach Dave Canales should abandon this approach, which makes no sense and only benefits Hubbard's fantasy owners.

Dowdle has been far more explosive when on the field this season, and to not give him the majority of the carries against such a weak run defense would be a massive wasted opportunity.

This article first appeared on Carolina Panthers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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