Cowboys vs Panthers: Week 4 Primer

Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty ImagesThe general consensus around the NFL seems to be that the Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers, both 3-0 right now, are the biggest surprises of the year. The Cowboys will play both of those teams this year, but the Panthers are the ones on the schedule this week. In their second season under head coach Matt Rhule, Carolina has enjoyed surprisingly strong performances from both their offense and defense; the Panthers rank 12th in offensive DVOA and first in defensive DVOA through three weeks.

The issue for the Panthers, however, is that their sudden respectability around the league is largely a false flag. Carolina has benefited from a fairly easy start…