Thursday Matchup: Giants vs. Panthers Giants (1-1) at Panthers (1-1) Line: Giants by 2 It is hard to imagine two public personalities less alike than Eli Manning and Cam Newton. A Thursday night matchup against a proven winner like Manning could provide ample opportunity for Newton to show that he has arrived as more quarterback and less highlight reel. Despite the star quarterbacks, this game could come down to which passing-oriented team can mount a better rushing effort. The Panthers beat the Saints by rumbling for 219 yards on the ground and three touchdowns, a huge departure from Week 1 when the team barely ran the ball. For the Giants, Andre Brown came out of nowhere to put up 71 yards and a touchdown in a win over the Buccaneers. Brown will be asked to fill in again for the injured Ahmad Bradshaw and could have some room to run against a porous Panthers run defense that has allowed nearly 300 yards on the ground through two games. Should Brown, or the rookie running back David Wilson, get things moving in the right direction, Manning may be able to win even without passing for 500 yards.