This isn’t looking like the bounce-back season Carolina had in mind after losing in Super Bowl 50. With a 17-14 loss to the Buccaneers on Monday, the Panthers sank to 1-4 in the standings and are now on a three-game skid.
It was a tough loss for the Panthers, as they played minus Cam Newton, who was put with a concussion. Another week of rest, however, could mean he’ll be back under center against the Saints. Derek Anderson simply wasn’t good enough to direct Carolina’s offense into the end zone in the Tampa game, passing for 278 yards without a touchdown and with two interceptions on 18 of 28 completions.
Regardless of which quarterback will get the start next Sunday, the Panthers should have an easier time slicing down New Orleans’ defense that has simply been a disaster. The Saints are last in the league in scoring defense (32.5 points per game) and second worst against the pass (301.2 passing yards).
New Orleans’ Kleenex-soft secondary is also primed be torture by tight end Greg Olsen and wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin. The two combined for 251 receiving yards on 14 catches against the Bucs.
The aura of invincibility of Carolina’s defense has definitely eroded this season and the Saints are eyeing to add more wrinkles to it when they host the Panthers this Sunday. The Saints are 3-1 ATS in their last three games against the Panthers.
The Saints definitely have the tools to break into Carolina’s defense, as they are fourth in the league in scoring, averaging 28.5 points per game. Their point of attack definitely will center around Drew Brees, who passed for 207 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions in a 35-34 win in San Diego back in Week 4.
That’s not a solid performance by Brees’ standards (or by any decent quarterback for that matter) but he must be optimistic of his chances against Carolina’s stout unit that was torched by Jameis Winston and company on Monday.
Even Carolina’s run defense was a big letdown in the Tampa Bay game with the Bucs reeling off 113 yards rushing yards. New Orleans isn’t a big rushing team, averaging just 81.8 rushing yards per game, but Mark Ingram is skilled enough to burst through any gaps he’ll see. Ingram rushed for 106 yards with a pair of touchdowns in two games versus Carolina last season.
