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This past week was yet another record-breaker traffic-wise for BBR.

Obviously, the start of the season equals more interest, but credit also has to go to Matt Harmon. His breakdown of Kelvin Benjamin’s development was our second-most popular post of the week. And because of that interest, we’re going to keep Matt around for a while.

Each week he’ll take a closer look at key matchups between the Panthers and their upcoming opponent. So, back by popular demand, here’s Matt …

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A note before we get into the Panthers and Bucs:Making concrete claims before the regular season begins would be a mistake. There are plenty of clues from last season, training camp, and the preseason, but these are essentially new teams. Players develop and decline from year-to-year. Yet we can make educated guesses.With that in mind, let’s take a look at two pivotal battles to watch Sunday.

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 Silatolu and Turner Vs. McCoy

While most offseason criticism centered on receivers, the offensive line appears to be Carolina’s biggest weakness. There’s potential, but center Ryan Kalil is the only proven above-average player. Both tackles are huge question marks, but this week, the focus should be on the guards.Amini Silatolu will start at left guard, while Trai Turner and Fernando Velasco split snaps on the right side. Waiting for them in Tampa Bay: two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Gerald McCoy.The 26-year-old is not only one of the league’s premier defenders, but he’s also coming off his best season. He’s stout against the run and relentless as a pass rusher, racking up 9.5 sacks last year. McCoy is the prototype pass rushing three-technique in Lovie Smith’s defense.Even for a good offensive line, completely shutting down a player like McCoy is almost impossible. Someone of his caliber is going to get his, it’s just matter of slowing him down.All three guards will have to chip in, but let’s focus on Silatolu and Turner. According to Pro Football Focus, McCoy started 14 games last year at right tackle. That means he’ll likely begin against Silatolu. But it’s a safe bet that Bucs head coach Lovie Smith will move his premier front-seven piece around to get favorable matchups.

This play is known for what happened in the end — receiver Kelvin Benjamin making a stumbling touchdown catch in the preseason opener against the Bills.What went unnoticed is the pocket the offensive line gave to quarterback Derek Anderson. Silatolu and Turner are up against Buffalo’s Kyle Williams and Marcel Dareus.A look at the zoomed-in image reveals something both Silatolu and Turner do well. The young guards are very athletic for big men, and they can really shoot out of their stance. Silatolu (left highlighted player) is already up and engaged with Williams as soon as Anderson receives the snap. Check out his posture: Silatolu has Williams stonewalled, with all his force driving forward and pushing Williams back. The advantage immediately goes to Silatolu.Turner’s movement is just as impressive, even though you don’t see him actively engaged with a defender. The rookie pops out of his stance and is in position with his arms squared at excellent pace. He’s prepared to execute his block even before Dareus is across the line of scrimmage.Silatolu is already mid-block. Turner has set himself up for success.Let’s see how the play developed for each from here:

Silatolu continues to handle Williams, a two-time Pro Bowler, one-on-one. He keeps his hands locked in to the defensive tackle’s pads and never gives an inch.Turner handles his assignment with a bit more technique. He redirects Dareus to the outside of the line more than stoning him at the line. You’ll also notice Kalil come in with an assist by shuffling Dareus out of the play.If the Panthers can count on Silatolu to handle himself on an island in pass protection, that would be a big boost. Of course, this play was from the preseason, and Williams is a notch below McCoy. But Williams is a good player, and the athleticism and power Silatolu showed should translate. Isolating Silatolu would allow Carolina to use Kalil as help for Turner, as they did here, when he faced McCoy.Of course, the Panthers need to establish an effective run game if they’re going to be successful. Silatolu quietly had a nice preseason as a run blocker.Here’s one of his highlight-level blocks:

The Chiefs have a talented front seven, and on this play, Silatolu takes out one of their best players, Derrick Johnson, springing running back Jonathan Stewart. Silatolu pulls from his left guard spot to seal off the edge. His hit on Johnson allows the next blocker in the hole to put a hat on the safety. That gives Stewart an alley to speed through down the field.Let’s take a closer look at Silatolu in particular:

This play also displays the combination of his athleticism and power. Silatolu’s fast enough for the Panthers to trust him as a lead blocker. He gets around the edge and out in front of the play with perfect timing. Once he arrives to meet Johnson, he pushes him out of the way with ease. There’s a ton to like about Silatolu on movement runs such as this.The Panthers are going to need Silatolu, Turner, and Velasco to show up as movement run blockers just like this on Sunday. Facing an elite defensive tackle like McCoy makes running the ball more difficult. But the Panthers need their run game to be effective, especially considering the question marks surrounding quarterback Cam Newton.

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Cason Vs. Jackson and Evans

Like the offensive line, there’s plenty of concern surrounding the Panthers secondary. 2013 undrafted cornerback Melvin White is the only returning starter. The top corner is free agent pickup Antoine Cason, who came off the bench in Arizona last year.The seven-year veteran gets a stiff test right off the bat facing Tampa’s pair of 6-5 wideouts, Vincent Jackson and Mike Evans. Cason will need to be physical, something he showed he was capable of during the preseason:

Defensive backs playing behind Carolina’s front seven have a nice luxury – they can play naturally because plays don’t last long.Here Cason quickly identifies the ball is going to Chiefs running back De’Anthony Thomas, and Cason goes all out:

Cason eyes the quarterback and Thomas at the same time. He’s able to arrive at Thomas just as the pass reaches him, making a solid form tackle. Cason has the upper body strength to drag Thomas down, and puts all his momentum right into Thomas’ torso. It’s textbook tackling.The Panthers will need Cason to show that type of physicality and aggression in coverage if they’re going to limit Jackson and Evans.Just as Cason appears to be a feisty player going downhill, he is also disruptive at the catch point:

Here Cason legally interferes with a potential catch by Patriots wideout Brandon LaFell. At 6-2, 210, LaFell isn’t quite a Jackson or Evans-level specimen. However, he’s on the bigger side, and Cason handles defending his dimensions well. It helps that he’s 6-1, 195, which is bigger than some of Carolina’s corners from 2013.The best thing you see here is Cason has the confidence to compliment his size. He knows he can play physical with LaFell. Being sure of oneself is the most underrated aspect of playing cornerback in the NFL.It’s also good that he has the awareness and technique to defend this pass. Cason doesn’t illegally go over LaFell’s back. Instead, he takes a slight lean over his right side to pop the ball away from LaFell.Cason shows the necessary aggression in run defense to stop receivers who dwarf him from getting too many yards after the catch. His strong tackling technique should be handy. He also looks like he’ll be able to disrupt receivers at the catch point, which is where most passing plays are won.Having a reliable, big cornerback would be a nice boost to a secondary that many consider the weak link of the Panthers strong defense. Cason will get his first real shot to prove he can be that guy on Sunday.