In terms of how the NFL officially views the 2010 season, Sunday's game at Carolina is a matchup of best vs. worst. At Bank of America Stadium, the Super Bowl Champion Packers take on the team with the worst record in the league last season, the Carolina Panthers, who finished a dismal 2-14. Early betting lines have Green Bay a 10 point favorite, despite being on the road.

After last year's disaster in Carolina, changes were made. John Fox was fired as Panthers head coach and replaced with Ron Rivera. With the No. 1 overall selection in April's draft, general manager Marty Hurney drafted Cam Newton, who was immediately installed as the team's starting quarterback.

Sunday's contest is a classic example of how much this year's lockout will hurt certain teams. Because there was no contact allowed between players and coaches, rookies could not begin learning their playbooks, and new coaches couldn't start to figure out what makes their players tick. For Rivera, an NFL rookie head coach, his learning curve is steep after spending the last four years as the San Diego Chargers defensive coordinator.

Newton, last year's Heisman Trophy winner, had a record-setting first NFL start in Week 1, passing for 422 yards in the Panthers 28-21 loss at Arizona. While Newton's chances at long-term success have been debated, Packers head coach Mike McCarthy, a former quarterbacks coach, was impressed.

"I think Cam Newton was very impressive," McCarthy said this week. "For the young man to go out there in his first game and put up the numbers that he did, it looked like he was very much in control of their offense."

Other NFL analysts with coaching experience heaped praise on the former Auburn quarterback as well. According to former 49ers and Lions head coach Steve Mariucci, Newton displayed "poise in the pocket. He didn't look like a rookie to me."

NBC's Tony Dungy said that Newton "was right on target all game. Rookie quarterbacks don't come in and do this. They don't do it on the road their first game with no off-season program. Cam Newton was tremendous."

Last week against New Orleans, the Packers allowed Drew Brees to throw for 419 yards and three touchdowns. Brees is an elite quarterback and the Saints are among the favorites to advance to the Super Bowl, so perhaps that isn't an accurate barometer of Green Bay's defense. However, no matter the opponent, it was troubling to see Dom Capers' unit to allow 9-14 third down conversions.

Adding to the Packers defensive woes is the uncertainty of cornerback Tramon Williams, who left last week's game with a bruised shoulder and didn't practice at all this week. If Williams is held out of Sunday's game, expect second-year player Sam Shields to step into the starting lineup alongside Charles Woodson. Considering the Panthers offense is based around Newton's right arm, the Packers will likely use a number of nickel packages, with Jarrett Bush seeing additional playing time.

Offensively, the Packers will do what they always do: Pass first, run second. Last week, lost in the shuffle of Aaron Rodgers spectacular performance (27-35 for 312 yards and three touchdowns) was that the ground attack went over the century mark.

James Starks and Ryan Grant shared the workload, with John Kuhn used in short-yardage situations. Starks ran for 57 yards on 12 carries, while Grant carried the ball 9 times for 40 yards. By themselves their numbers don't jump off the page, but the Packers ground game with two healthy backs keeps opposing defenses honest.

Three key matchups:

1. Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers against Panthers cornerbacks Chris Gamble and Captain Munnerlyn. Rodgers and his receiving corps have developed one of the most unstoppable weapons in the game, the "back shoulder throw." McCarthy has been careful to not divulge the Packers exact method of when it is utilized, but when he notices if a cornerback is playing behind the receiver, look for Rodgers to throw over the top to the defenders disadvantaged leverage side.

2. Packers NT B.J. Raji against Panthers C Ryan Kalil. Raji had a breakout season last year for Green Bay and was one of the keys to stopping New Orleans RB Mark Ingram on the goal line of Week 1's final play. However, Raji only made two tackles against the Saints the entire game. He'll need to step up his game against the steady and durable Kalil, who has played in the last two Pro Bowls.

3. Panthers DE Charles Johnson against Packers LT Chad Clifton. The Panthers gave Johnson a six year, $72 million contract extension after he registered 11 ½ sacks as a first-year starter. Johnson mulled offers from Denver and Atlanta before re-signing with Carolina after the lockout ended. Clifton has looked shaky at times during the preseason and is the oldest starting left tackle in the NFL. For the Green Bay offense to operate on all cylinders, Clifton must neutralize Johnson's speed coming around the end.

For what it's worth: The Packers will be wearing their green jerseys for Sunday's game. The Panthers will be wearing white, one of three different colored uniform tops they will sport this season. The Panthers will also wear a blue jersey as well as a black version over the course of the year.

Top Five NFL Games of the Week:

Philadelphia at Atlanta: Michael Vick returns to the Georgia Dome for the first time since his dog fighting scandal landed him in prison. Atlanta hasn't lost back-to-back games at the Georgia Dome since 2009. Both teams are NFC title contenders and feature explosive offenses. My Pick: Philadelphia 35, Atlanta 28

San Diego at New England: Two AFC title contenders. Last season, New England was 14-2 but failed to get out of the Divisional round of the playoffs. San Diego has been universally picked as the top team out of the mediocre AFC West. This game will feature two of the best quarterbacks in the league, so expect some scoring. My pick: New England 38, San Diego 27

Chicago at New Orleans: The Bears have had the Saints number in recent years, with coach Lovie Smith 4-0 lifetime vs. New Orleans. However, the Saints have won 18 of their past 25 home games, and Chicago is in the middle of a three week gauntlet that also includes the Falcons last week and the Packers next week. My pick: New Orleans 27, Chicago 24

Houston at Miami: Last week, the Dolphins defense got destroyed by Tom Brady to the tune of 517 passing yards and 622 total yards. For any team that is unacceptable, but for a defense as ballyhooed as Miami's, it was shocking. Look for them to rebound this week, even if Arian Foster is able to play. On the other hand, last week without Foster, Houston still clobbered Indianapolis 34-7. My pick: Houston 24, Miami 17

Jacksonville at New York Jets: The Jaguars lead the all-time series 6-2, including their last meeting, a 24-22 thriller that ended on a Josh Scobee field goal as time expired. Jets QB Mark Sanchez was sacked four times last week vs. Dallas, and coach Rex Ryan has said that better protection is his No. 1 priority this week. Jacksonville's defense allowed just 43 yards on the ground in their Week 1 win vs. Tennessee. My pick: New York Jets 21, Jacksonville 13