When you hit the second week of the NFL preseason, training camps are closing and coaching staffs are beginning to finalize schemes and rotations. That’s not really the case with the Kansas City Chiefs or Carolina Panthers, both of whom were thrown some curveballs while planning for their showdown tonight at 8pm EST at Bank of America Stadium. You can watch Chiefs vs Panthers game live online Preseason Week 2 in various ways.
The Kansas City Chiefs’ curveball is both the most recent and most damaging. Starting running back Jamaal Charles didn’t make trip to Charlotte for tonight’s Panthers game and thus won’t be playing. Apparently Charles bruised his foot, which the Chiefs’ staff said wasn’t to serious and shouldn’t keep him from suiting-up at home next Saturday against the Minnesota Vikings.
Still, Charles was a key part of the Chiefs’ offense last season, carrying the ball 259 times on the way to 1,287 yards and 12 touchdowns during the 2013-14 campaign. Although preseason NFL games don’t rely much on starters, any time you’re without a running back who’s that productive your offense is bound to suffer. Knile Davis, who will start in Charles’ place, has some big shoes to fill.
Charles’ absence could be even more damaging in tonight’s Chiefs game if the rest of the Kansas City offense doesn’t turn this around. Last weekend against the Cincinnati Bengals Alex Smith fumbled the ball once and the Chiefs offense failed to convert twice on third and short. To help his team iron out those wrinkles, Coach Andy Reid has said Smith and the rest of the offensive starters are will play the entire first half in tonight’s Panthers game.
The curveball thrown to the Carolina Panthers is much more positive and should be a fun thing to watch for in tonight’s Chiefs game. Quarterback Cam Newton, who last season completed 292 of 473 passes for 3,379 yards and 24 touchdowns, will play his first game tonight after sitting out last week’s preseason opener. He may see some extended reps against the Chiefs tonight, as the Panthers coaching staff has said Newton will play the entire first quarter and perhaps part of the second quarter if his offensive line can protect him.
The Carolina Panthers offense will also welcome back Starting running back DeAngelo Williams and backup RB Jonathan Stewart, both of whom missed last week’s game. Last week Williams was simply given the night off, though Stewart was nursing a hamstring injury. With both on the field for tonight’s Panthers game, fans will see both running backs healthy for the first time in several seasons.
Williams should be a particularly nice addition to the Panthers’ game. Last season he led the Panthers’ ground game with 201 carries for 843 yards and three touchdowns. Newton was the team’s second-leading rusher last year, so technically that means Carolina will have three legitimate threats on the ground playing in tonight’s Chiefs vs Panthers preseason game.
Kickoff for tonight’s Chiefs vs Panthers preseason Week 2 game is scheduled for 8pm EST. The game will be broadcast live on FOX. Alternatively, you can watch tonight’s Chiefs vs Panthers game live online using the NFL Preseason Live service, which lets fans watch all out-of-market preseason NFL games for $19.99. Another option if you’re an NFL Network subscriber is to watch the game online via the NFL Online website. You’ll just need to sign-in using your login info for your satellite or cable TV provider.