The Carolina Panthers regular season is finally here…

The Carolina Panthers concluded their preseason with an even 2-2 record after defeating both the Texans and Jaguars. Losses at Tennessee and in the final seconds against Pittsburgh revealed some weaknesses but Sunday provides the first real test of the NFL regular season.

After an up and down offseason during which both the locker room and front office of the Panthers underwent dramatic changes, the routine of the season may calm things provided Carolina is successful. The team lost defensive coordinator Sean McDermott to Buffalo along with some upper management and a variety of players. Former general manager Dave Gettleman was fired just before training camp and interim Marty Hurney has wasted no time putting his stamp on the roster.

San Francisco also opens the 2017 season with a lot of questions. New coach Kyle Shanahan is familiar with the Panthers after serving as the offensive coordinator for Atlanta over the last two seasons. The 49ers also went 2-2 during preseason play with wins over Kansas City and the Los Angeles Chargers. Both Minnesota and Denver defeated Shanahan’s new team.

2017 SEASON: CAROLINA PANTHERS (0-0) at SAN FRANCISCO 49ers (0-0)

KICKOFF: 4:25 PM ET

TV: FOX Broadcast Coverage Map

ONLINE: FuboTV Watch over 67 live sports and entertainment channels with a 7-day FREE trial!

LOCATION: Levi’s Stadium (Santa Clara, CA)

WEATHER: 90 degrees, 47% humidity, 12mph NNW wind, 0% precipitation

LAST MEETING: 46-27, PANTHERS – September 18, 2016 (WEEK 2)

KEY MATCH-UP: CAR RB – Christian McCaffrey vs. SF LB – Reuben Foster

One of the more intriguing matchups to watch on Sunday features the newest additions for both teams. McCaffrey was added as a playmaker in the Panthers offense to help ease the pressure off of quarterback Cam Newton. Foster, one of two defensive players the 49ers acquired in the first-round of the draft will likely be assigned to McCaffrey in one-on-one situations.

The other rookie defensive player for San Francisco knows McCaffrey extremely well as defensive linemen Solomon Thomas and McCaffrey were roommates at Stanford. It will be interesting to see how the Panthers attack a much improved front seven for the 49ers.

Offensive line play for Carolina will obviously have an effect on the level of success for the unit, McCaffrey and Newton. Expect to see San Francisco employ a lot of zone coverage to help contain the Panthers rookie, but inevitably single coverage will be administered at some point and if fellow running back Jonathan Stewart is correct – advantage Carolina.

One of the few dominant wins put together by the Panthers last season, expect a different game this time around.

The 49ers have a new coach familiar with the Panthers defense while San Francisco’s defense has dramatically improved. A tough road test to begin the season, Newton and the Carolina offense get just enough to return home victorious.

PREDICTION: CAROLINA PANTHERS- 23, SAN FRANCISCO 49ers- 17