Week 3 of the NFL season kicks off tonight between the Carolina Panthers and the Houston Texans. This is one of the more interesting matchups of the Week 3 schedule as the Panthers are in first place in the NFC South while the Texans are top of the AFC South, which is a surprise for many fans and experts. This Thursday Night Football game will kick off at 8:20 p.m. ET and air on the NFL Network. It will also stream on the NFL App and Yahoo Sports App.
The Panthers are 2-0 on the year after beating the New York Jets and the New Orleans Saints. In the offseason, the Panthers traded for Sam Darnold, and he is off to a hart start, completing 68.5% of his passes for 584 yards, three touchdowns and one interception with a 100.5 passer rating. The Panthers are also getting quality play from their defense with linebacker Haason Reddick who has posted three sacks in two games.
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“It’s great, it’s complementary football, we talk about it all of the time,” Darnold said after the win over the Saints this Sunday, per the team’s official website. “But us having the ball and sustaining drives, obviously we want to do more in the red zone, we want to score more points. But to be able to stay on the field as an offense and then our defense going out and creating three and outs and stopping them, it’s really good football.”
The Texans are looking to bounce back after suffering a 31-21 loss to the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. Quarterback Deshaun Watson hasn’t played a down this season and will likely not play at all this year due to legal issues. The team just lost starting quarterback Tyrod Taylor for at least three games due to him being on injured reserve for a hamstring injury. Rookie Davis Mills will get the start tonight, and he has a chance to be the Texans’ future star if he plays well.
“The times that he does get in there and practice, he has a command of the offense and the huddle,” Texans wide receiver Brandin Cooks says of Mills. “A lot more vocal, a lot more confident in that aspect. And just not being quiet, but steps up and talks when he needs to. So when you see that from a young guy and see that build every single day from spring camp until now, that’s been huge.”
