The New Orleans Saints will try to continue to win as they play their first divisional game against the Carolina Panthers. Carolina sits right in the middle of the pack defensively, ranking 14th overall. Although they sit at 1-3, the Panthers present a challenge to the Saints’ offense.
Pass Offense
The New Orleans passing offense has been great the first quarter of the season, averaging 335 yards per game thus far. The Panthers’ pass defense has actually been sneaky good this season, only surrendering 203 yards per game, which is good enough for 6th best league-wide.
Panthers DE Charles Johnson, who has arguably been their best defensive lineman, leads all Carolina defenders with 4 sacks. The Saints will need to be able to contain Johnson in order to be successful. New Orleans has done a pretty good job this year in keeping Brees upright. Nonetheless, C Olin Kreutz and T Zack Strief are out this week, and that will mean that G Brian De La Puente and T Charles Brown will have to step up in a big way. Keeping Brees off of the turf is paramount for any offensive success.
TE Jimmy Graham has been a consistent target for Brees this season, accumulating 367 yards and 3 touchdowns. Look for Brees to connect with Graham early and often, who creates a huge mismatch for any defense. WR Marques Colston will get more involved in the offense after returning last week from a broken collarbone. WR Devery Henderson is nursing a calf injury and is listed as doubtful, so look for Lance Moore to have even a bigger role, especially in the deep passing game.
Run Offense
Believe it or not, the New Orleans Saints have the 10th best running attack in the NFL, averaging 119 yards per contest. Carolina has the second-worst run defense in the league, giving up 143.8 yards per contest; only the St. Louis Rams have had more trouble against the run.
The Saints’ running game has been spearheaded this season by the offseason’s biggest addition, RB Darren Sproles. Sproles has been absolutely amazing so far, and Sean Payton is committed to getting him the ball in more situations. The three headed monster of Sproles, rookie Mark Ingram, and Pierre Thomas has been effective this year, and has kept the entire unit fresh and healthy.
Although a pass first attack is what Payton prefers, the Saints should really look into running the ball more this week. The Panthers have been atrocious against the run this season, and the Saints do well when they can control the tempo and pound the ball. This strategy will also serve the Saints defense well by keeping Panthers QB Cam Newton where he cannot do any damage: on the sidelines.
Matchup to Watch
Panthers DE Charles Johnson vs. Saints OTs Jermon Bushrod and Charles Brown. Panthers HC Ron Rivera will line up Johnson on both sides of the line in order to try to get some sort of pass rush. Brees has thrown multiple interceptions in the past two games. Pressure on the quarterback is the main contributor to turnovers, and the Panthers will try to apply as much pass rush as possible. Both Bushrod and Brown will have their hands full, and a good performance from the line will be the key.
