Baker has now been named the starter for week one against the Cleveland Browns for the Carolina Panthers. For months, the former Oklahoma quarterback has been surrounded by controversy in Cleveland on whether it would be him or DeShaun Watson starting the new football season. But now with Baker in Carolina and Watson serving an 11-game suspension for off-the-field antics, Baker has a chance to have a breakout year in Carolina. With a new style of offense to learn, Baker is going to have plenty of weapons to strive for in his new team. A healthy Christian McCaffrey has the ability to be a top 3 running back with elite pass-catching skills. D.J. Moore is a top 15 WR with the ability to reach a top 10 WR with tremendous route running skills.
And this season he has some very skilled veteran quarterbacks he’ll be facing with a matchup vs his old team in Cleveland week 1. This game will be personal for Baker as tensions are high between Baker and the Cleveland Browns organization and team. The next key matchup is week 6 when the Panthers go to Los Angeles to face the Super Bowl-winning champions Rams. Since Matthew Stafford was drafted into the league, he has been a part of a lackluster franchise with an offense that at one time showed much promise to turn into a bottom-tier offense that hasn’t had a top receiver in the league since Calvin Johnson retired. Now with Stafford throwing to top players like Cooper Kupp, Allen Robinson, and Cam Akers, he was able to achieve his dream last year of winning the Super Bowl and defeating the Cincinnati Bengals this February. Facing a knowledgeable quarterback like Stafford is always a challenge but Baker he needs to show that he can compete with top-tier quarterbacks to be put in the conversation for it.
The next matchup to look for Baker is on both weeks 7 & 17 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the greatest quarterback of all time in Tom Brady. As a Patriots fan, I’ve had the pleasure of watching Tom lead the Patriots year after year for 20+ years to the playoffs with various receivers and still be either in the Super Bowl or the one lifting the Lombardi trophy at the end of the game. Every off-season media and fans alike always had New England as a guarantee for a top playoff spot. And as the end for Brady in New England approached, fans and media alike started the debate of who deserves credit more for the Patriots’ success. Was it Brady or Belichick? Then in the 2019-2020 off-season, Brady shocked the NFL Universe when he announced he was joining the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after 20 years in New England. Many speculated whether he would have the same success that he has had before. But in the 2020 season, he defeated Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs to win his 7th Super Bowl and the first outside of the Patriots. Now if Baker can get a regular season win against a top 3 quarterback of all time, it will look good on Baker’s resume when he retires. Week 9 against the Cincinnati Bengals will be a challenge for Baker facing Joe Burrow. The Bengals have a top-5 offense with Ja’Marr Chase having a spectacular rookie year and Joe having the momentum of a Super Bowl appearance is going to be tough to defeat. And the Panthers’ defense can stop the Bengals’ offense to a certain point but they can get a break in the offense to get the win.
The two final key matchups for Baker are first in week 11 vs the Baltimore Ravens and former MVP Lamar Jackson. The quarterback is the best mobile quarterback currently in the league. He can maneuver through defensive lines with such ease. The Ravens have suffered many injuries concerning their WRs for a few years but Lamar still thrives enough to make playoffs. And Baker has the skills to defeat the Ravens’ skilled defense. Next is the Denver Broncos. Their newly acquired quarterback Russell Wilson upgrades their offense considerably. His IQ on the field is like no other. Known as one of the top quarterbacks in the league facing Baker will be good for the Oklahoma quarterback to learn as much as he can from the former Super Bowl-winning quarterback while Wilson is on the field leading the Denver offense.
Now as Baker looks to start a new chapter in his career, he looks to prove everyone wrong who has doubted him over the years. He is an elite quarterback who just like Stafford needs the right pieces around him and a more suitable offense to learn from. Baker is the best choice for Carolina and will strive to be a top 10 quarterback in no time.
Stat Predictions 4,032 passing yards 39 touchdowns 15 interceptions 4 rushing touchdowns
