(Sports Network) - The Detroit Lions' tour of futility makes a stop in Charlotte this Sunday, as the NFL's lone remaining winless team of this season takes on the NFC South front-running Carolina Panthers in a matchup between clubs headed in decidedly opposite directions.

While losing has been a customary occurrence for the Lions in recent years -- the franchise hasn't posted a winning mark since 2000 -- this season's edition appears quite capable of etching a dubious place in both team and league annals for its non-competitiveness. Five of Detroit's nine losses to begin the campaign have been by double-digits, and the squad ranks at or near the bottom of the NFL in virtually every statistical measure.

The Lions appeared to be making some strides with a string of respectable defeats over a four-week stretch that coincided with Dan Orlovsky's promotion to the starting quarterback position, but those gains have since been nullified after the young signal-caller fractured his right thumb in a 27-23 loss at division-rival Chicago on November 2.

As a result of Orlovsky's injury, the desperate Lions coaxed three-time Pro Bowl honoree Daunte Culpepper out of a brief retirement and immediately inserted him under center for last Sunday's home game with Jacksonville. Not surprisingly, the rusty triggerman struggled in his return and Detroit was handed another lopsided loss, a 38-14 setback that refueled speculation that the organization would be searching for third-year head coach Rod Marinelli's replacement at season's end, if not sooner.

Culpepper will get the call to begin this week's contest as well, although the 31-year-old may yield some playing time to perceived quarterback of the future Drew Stanton. The former Michigan State star saw his first regular-season action in the Jacksonville game and completed 6-of-8 passes for 94 yards and a short touchdown toss.

While the Lions are floundering, the Panthers have surged to the top of a well-stocked NFC South by winning seven of their first nine outings and are currently riding a three-game win streak following last week's 17-6 road victory over lowly Oakland. Carolina's 7-2 start matches its best record after nine games in team history, established first during its NFC championship season of 2003 and again two years later, when the Panthers reached the conference title game.

Carolina has built its gaudy mark on the strength of a stout defense and dominant play at Bank of America Stadium. The Panthers are 5-0 at home so far in 2008 and have outscored the opposition by an average margin of 15.8 points.

Detroit, on the other hand, has dropped 16 of its last 17 games dating back to last season under Marinelli's watch, and is 0-9 on the road over that dreadful span.

SERIES HISTORY

Carolina has a 3-1 edge in its all-time series with Detroit, including a 21-20 come-from-behind victory when the teams last met, at Ford Field in 2005. The previous three meetings all took place in Charlotte, with Detroit winning the initial one, in 1999, and Carolina taking the next two, in 2002 and 2003.

Carolina's John Fox is 3-0 in his career against the Lions, and Marinelli will be meeting both Fox and the Panthers for the first time as head coach.

WHEN THE LIONS HAVE THE BALL

While the quarterback situation remains a mess, the Lions did show some semblance of a running game during last week's loss to the Jaguars. Rookie Kevin Smith (401 rushing yards, 5 TD, 25 receptions) set career highs of 23 carries and 96 yards along with a rushing touchdown and is now finally entrenched as the team's starter after the coaching staff's early-year preference for ex-Bengals castoff Rudi Johnson (212 rushing yards, 10 receptions, 2 total TD). Even with Smith's solid showing, Detroit is still averaging a glacial 75.4 yards per game on the ground (31st overall). Center Dominic Raiola had a string of 104 consecutive starts when he missed the Jacksonville game with a broken thumb, an injury that will leave a suspect line without its anchor for a second straight week.

Marinelli and offensive coordinator Jim Colletto expect Culpepper to be more effective now that the strong-armed veteran has had an extra week to digest the playbook. The well-traveled quarterback completed just 5-of-10 throws for 104 yards in his Lions debut, with most of that total coming on a 51-yard connection to standout wide receiver Calvin Johnson (39 receptions, 774 yards, 6 TD). He was also intercepted on his initial pass attempt of game. Stanton came in during a goal-line situation in the first quarter and delivered a one- yard scoring strike to reserve tight end John Owens, and Marinelli hinted this week that the second-year pro may be used in similar spots on Sunday. Calvin Johnson stands as Detroit's lone deep threat after the club shipped the gifted Roy Williams to Dallas at last month's trade deadline, as fellow wideouts Shaun McDonald (26 receptions, 1 TD) and Mike Furrey (18 receptions) are more possession types than game-breakers.

The Lions better hope Culpepper has become more comfortable running the offense, otherwise he'll have trouble navigating a Carolina defense that is ranked fourth in the NFL against the pass (185.3 ypg) and produced five sacks in last Sunday's win over the Raiders. Three of those takedowns came from freakishly-skilled end Julius Peppers (29 tackles, 7 sacks), who also forced two fumbles to earn NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors. Sophomore lineman Charles Johnson (13 tackles, 4.5 sacks) is also emerging into a dangerous pass rusher, as evidenced by his three sacks over the last two games. The Panthers' corners are both reliable and experienced, as the duo of Chris Gamble (53 tackles, 2 INT, 13 PD) and Ken Lucas (28 tackles, 2 INT, 9 PD) have started together since 2005.

Carolina wasn't as sharp in defending the run coming out of its bye week, with Oakland able to generate 147 rushing yards and control the clock for over 37 minutes in last Sunday's tilt. Middle linebacker Jon Beason (79 tackles, 2 INT) had an especially busy day, as the team's top tackler racked up a career- high 15 stops (11 solo) in the triumph. Weakside starter Thomas Davis (60 tackles, 1 sack) added 10 tackles and a sack. Both players are former first- round picks with outstanding range and headline one of the unit's areas of strength. For the season the Panthers are allowing an average of 105.1 yards per game on the ground (17th overall).

WHEN THE PANTHERS HAVE THE BALL

After spending his first two NFL seasons as a complimentary contributor and then having to split carries with talented rookie Jonathan Stewart to begin this year, 2006 first-round pick DeAngelo Williams (662 rushing yards, 13 receptions, 2 total TD) has recently gotten a long-awaited chance to be the Panthers' featured running back and is shining in his opportunity. The elusive 25-year-old shredded the Raiders for a personal-best 140 yards and a score on 19 carries last Sunday, backing up an 108-yard, one-touchdown effort on just 17 totes in a Week 8 win over Arizona. Williams' surge has vaulted Carolina to a No. 10 overall ranking in rushing offense (119.2 ypg), and he's averaging a healthy 4.8 yards per attempt this year. Stewart (383 rushing yards, 5 TD, 4 receptions), a first-round choice as well, has remained part of the equation in the offense's two-back system, although his workload has been reduced some lately.

The Panthers sorely needed Williams' sensational performance last week, as usually steady quarterback Jake Delhomme (1853 passing yards, 10 TD, 9 INT) almost single-handedly kept Oakland in the game with a horrifically awful outing. The 10-year pro completed only 7 of his 27 pass attempts for a meager 72 yards and was intercepted four times, ending with a career-worst 12.3 passer rating. A return to familiarity should allow for a quick rebound, as Delhomme has a 109.4 rating at home this year and has thrown for eight touchdowns in Carolina's five games played in Charlotte. He's also got one of the NFL's true game-changing receivers at his disposal in two-time Pro Bowler Steve Smith (34 receptions, 622 yards, 4 TD), as well as a reliable target in 35-year-old wideout Muhsin Muhammad (40 receptions, 3 TD). There's not much depth beyond the those two, however, which helps explain why the Panthers are just 22nd in the league in passing offense (196.1 ypg).

Delhomme may also bounce back because he'll be facing a Detroit defense that has been decimated by injuries as of late. Starting ends Dewayne White (36 tackles, 5.5 sacks, 1 INT) and Jared DeVries (28 tackles, 2 sacks) are out for Sunday after suffering a calf strain and broken hand, respectively, against Jacksonville, while veteran safety Dwight Smith (29 tackles) will likely sit out a fourth straight contest with a sprained foot. Weakside linebacker Ernie Sims (65 tackles, 0.5 sacks) and under tackle Cory Redding (28 tackles, 3 sacks) are also banged up, although both are expected to play against the Panthers. The Lions' defense wasn't any good even at full strength, as the team ranks 31st in total yards allowed (406.1 ypg), rushing defense (161.2 ypg) and points allowed (30.8 ppg).

White's absence will be especially tough for Detroit to overcome, as the Marinelli favorite leads the team in sacks and has been one of the defense's few impact players. Youngsters Ikaika Alama-Francis (8 tackles) and Cliff Avril (10 tackles, 1 sack) figure to get extended looks at the defensive end spots with White and DeVries sidelined, but they'll need to grow up in a hurry to prevent a shoddy secondary from being exposed on Sunday. The Lions are surrendering nearly 245 passing yards per game (29th overall) and have grabbed a league-low two interceptions.

FANTASY FOCUS

The Lions present an extremely juicy matchup for anybody and anything Carolina-related. DeAngelo Williams is in line for another productive day against a Detroit defense that's a swiss-cheese group against the run, while Steve Smith had posted three consecutive 100-yard games before being handcuffed by Delhomme a week ago. Start both with the utmost of confidence. Although Stewart's value has plummeted after a strong start to his rookie campaign, there's a chance the rookie may get a fair amount of carries in a potential blowout that makes him a decent flex option. Delhomme's inconsistency prevents him from being among the elite fantasy quarterbacks, but one could do worse at that position. The Panthers defense is a must-use this week as well, as are players like Peppers and Beason for those in leagues with individual defenders. Calvin Johnson is the only player on the Detroit side worth starting on a weekly basis, even with the team's troubles at quarterback, with Kevin Smith a possible option as a second running back or flex. Culpepper should not be holding a spot on any roster right now, while Stanton only has relevance for dynasty-leaguers.

OVERALL ANALYSIS

There's little need to over-analyze this one. The only factor that could conceive ably prevent the Panthers from chalking up another impressive win, short of a second straight nightmarish game out of Delhomme, would be a total team letdown against an obviously inferior opponent. Don't count on either happening. Carolina will be motivated to improve off a mediocre performance last week, while Delhomme shouldn't face a whole lot of resistance from a Detroit defense that has been an abomination all season long. The Lions are already playing for the future, even in the likelihood that the present staff won't be around to develop whatever talent presently exists, and the young players will get a crash course in humility from a Panthers' squad that's very solid all the way around and has been lights-out at home this year. Look for Carolina to jump out to a sizeable early advantage and coast the rest of the way to an easy victory.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Panthers 27, Lions 6