Rookie passers Cam Newton and Christian Ponder do battle in week eight of the NFL season.
Newton has plenty to Ponder in search for continued winning formula
Rookie quarterbacks Cam Newton and Christian Ponder meet at Bank of America Stadium on Sunday in the first part of a week eight double header live on
Sky Sports HD2 from 4.30pm.
Newton, the number one pick in April's draft, is enjoying a sensational start to his professional career and has already racked up 2,103 passing yards at the controls of the free-scoring Carolina Panthers.
His efforts have only translated to a 2-5 record but last week's 33-20 victory over the Redskins in Washington provided a glimpse of the future for a franchise that finished a league-worst 2-14 last season.
Ponder, taken 12th overall, made his first start for the Minnesota Vikings last Sunday after veteran Donovan McNabb was benched following a series of underwhelming displays.
Although the Vikings (1-6) went down 33-27 to the unbeaten Green Bay Packers, Ponder threw a pair of touchdown passes and emerged in credit from his baptism of fire against the defending Super Bowl champions.
Mile High
Attention then turns at 8.30pm to Mile High as the Detroit Lions attempt to arrest a two-game losing run at the Denver Broncos.
The Lions (5-2) opened with five straight victories but have since gone off the boil with home defeats to the San Francisco 49ers and Atlanta Falcons.
Detroit quarterback Matthew Stafford is expected to play despite suffering an ankle injury during the Falcons defeat.
Stafford took some part in practice on both Thursday and Friday, splitting snaps with his back-up Shaun Hill.
The Broncos (2-4) will again put their faith in second-year passer Tim Tebow, who scripted a remarkable 18-15 overtime win over the Miami Dolphins in week seven despite struggling badly for most of the game.
Winless
All three remaining winless teams - the Indianapolis Colts (0-7), Miami Dolphins (0-6) and St Louis Rams (0-6) - have the chance to get off the mark in week eight.
The Colts are at LP Field for an AFC South showdown with the Tennessee Titans (3-3), who have lost their last two to put the brakes on a promising start to the post-Jeff Fisher era.
The Dolphins have a big day out in the Big Apple against the NFC East-leading New York Giants (4-2), while the New Orleans Saints (5-2) - who hung up 62 on the Colts last week - will be eyeing another points-fest at the beleaguered Rams.
The Houston Texans (4-3), fresh from demolishing the Titans, have the chance to consolidate their leadership of the AFC South at home to the Jacksonville Jaguars (2-5), who are coming off a short week after shocking the Baltimore Ravens last Monday.
The Ravens (4-2), whose offence stuttered badly against the fired-up Jags, will try to bounce back in front of their own fans when the struggling Arizona Cardinals (1-5) come to town on a five-game losing streak.
Gunslingers
Quarterbacks Ben Roethlisberger and Tom Brady go head-to-head at Heinz Field where the Pittsburgh Steelers (5-2) entertain the New England Patriots (5-1), while the Buffalo Bills (4-2) - the Patriots' nearest challengers in the AFC East - are playing a 'home' game in Toronto against the Washington Redskins (3-3), who have lost their last two.
The Cincinnati Bengals (4-2) make the trip to noisy CenturyLink Field to square up to the Seattle Seahawks (2-4) and the San Francisco 49ers (5-1) can pull further clear at the top of the NFC West by taking care of business at home to the Cleveland Browns (3-3).
The Sunday night encounter at Lincoln Financial Field sees the Philadelphia Eagles (2-4) involved in another early must-win NFC East clash with the Dallas Cowboys (3-3).
On Monday at Arrowhead Stadium, the Kansas City Chiefs (3-3) attempt to continue their revival - they are back at .500 after starting 0-3 - against the AFC West-leading San Diego Chargers (4-2).
