CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The status of injured Panthers offensive lineman Daryl Williams and Amini Silatolu probably won't be known until Sunday.

  • Panthers play Dallas Cowboys Sunday at 4:25 p.m.
  • Greg Olsen is familiar with Dallas defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli
  • It will be Eric Washington's first game ever as a defensive coordinator

 

Head Coach Ron Rivera played coy with the media when asked about whether the pair would play versus the Cowboys.

"I'm confident, but we won't know until Sunday," he said giving a sly wink as he left the interview room.

Having a healthy offensive line as possible will be important for Carolina as they go up against one of the better defensive fronts in the NFL. Cowboys defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence had 14.5 sacks in 2017 and Panthers quarterback Cam Newton described the linebacking corps as "cerebral-esque."

RELATED: Panthers notebook Sept. 4

Panthers tight end Greg Olsen is familiar with Dallas defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli. 

"They're a talented group (Dallas' defensive). They're fast they run to the ball," said Olsen. "You know, Rod Marinelli, I've known for a long time. You know back when he was a coach in Detroit and then he was a coordinator when he was in Chicago with me. You know he's as good a defensive mind as the game has had in a long time."

Panthers Eric Washington hopes to be mentioned in that same vein as Marinelli in his career. Sunday will mark his first game ever as a defensive coordinator. He was promoted from Carolina's defensive line coach to replace Steve Wilks after he took the head coaching job in Arizona. Washington's "G2X" mantra is ingrained in his defensive line. It means "Get to the quarterback."

"We have to affect the quarterback and we want to start with out four-man rush," Washington said on Thursday. "And then if we choose to add an extra rusher in the form of a blitzer, that person also has to assume that mindset."

The Panthers kickoff the 2018 season Sunday afternoon against the Cowboys at 4:25 p.m., with complete coverage at 10 p.m. on the Chevrolet Sports Night exclusively on Spectrum News.

View Spectrum News' full Panthers coverage here

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