Panthers vs Cowboys could come down to the run The football season is (finally) upon us. On Sunday Cheap Christian McCaffrey Jersey , the Panthers kick things off with a home game versus the Cowboys. Both teams on paper match up fairly. Like the Panthers, the Cowboys are battling their own set of injuries on the offensive line. Both teams sport a quarterback able to control the game and both have a defense that’s talented. But the one position that could control tempo of the game for either team is running back. Ezekiel Elliott battled the drama of a looming six-game suspension last season for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy. Elliott faced his suspension the latter half of the season but not without making some noise first. In a matter of 10 games, Elliott managed to rush for 983 yards. He’s fast, he has power, he has agility, and he’s one of the best in the NFL. There’s also no doubt about it, Elliott will be ready to play on Sunday and he’ll be running harder than ever. The Cowboys have an up and coming quarterback in Dak Prescott. However, Prescott doesn’t have the same talent at wide receiver he once had with the release of Dez Bryant in the offseason. Dallas has a young receiver in Michael Gallup and their other option is Allen Hurns — a former Jaguars standout. If things go faulty Cheap Kawann Short Jersey , Cowboys will have to rely heavily on Elliott. Thankfully for the Panthers, they have one of the best defenders in the league in Luke Kuechly. Panthers head coach Ron Rivera said in the offseason that he’d like to see Christian McCaffrey get 25-30 touches per game. It’s also clear that first year offensive coordinator Norv Turner anticipates a running back who can tear up a defense on every down. Christian McCaffrey can run routes and run the ball out of the backfield. He is versatile in terms of style. Cam Newton can throw and he can run. Unfortunately for Newton, he’s now backed up by a patchwork version of an offensive line. DeMarcus Lawrence is a beast of a defensive end and is Dallas’ best defensive player. Last season, Lawrence had a career high 14.5 sacks and is looking for another stellar season. Newton will be pressured and he could be stopped if Taylor Moton doesn’t play his part. In turn, CMC could be the game changer if things don’t go well in the air. With pressure in the air for both teams, there will be plenty of running on the field. Whoever can utilize their run game better will likely take the win.Panthers 2018 season opener countdown: 28 days to go We are 28 days away from the beginning of the Carolina Panthers 2018 season. That means today we take a closer look at the Panthers 2018 third round pick, safety Rashaan Gaulden. That also means we’re exactly 4 weeks away from football.Rashaan Gaulden, SafetyBioHeight: 6’Weight: 200 lbsAge: 23College: TennesseeNFL Experience: RookieRashaan Gaulden is the first safety drafted by the Carolina Panthers since Tre Boston. The safety position has never been particularly valued when constructing Rivera’s defenses so it is no surprise that it has taken the Panthers this long to address what many of us have long considered a shaky position on the roster.Gaulden fits the mold that Rivera has seemingly often sought when filling out his roster: he’s a little bit older than his peers Cheap Greg Olsen Jersey , not quite as a fast, and highly effective at crashing downfield to stop the run.Gaulden has already started turning heads at training camp with a few impressive plays, not to mention at least one unnecessary hit, but don’t look for him to crack the starting line up any time soon. Rivera loves playing veterans more than league commissioner Roger Goodell loves bungling a public relations crisis. Mike Adams played serviceably as a strong safety —Gaulden’s natural position — last year and won’t loose his job to anything short of hip replacement surgery. Expect the rookie to feature heavily in the rotation at strong safety, and possibly in more run-balanced big nickel formations, for 2018. The starting job should definitely be on the table for him next year.