After a Week 1 debacle against Washington, the New Orleans Saints will seek their first victory of the season on the road against the Carolina Panthers. This divisional contest will feature two teams looking to get on the right track after disappointing debuts a week ago. The game is very important in regards to the NFC South race, even with it being this early in the season.
The Saints’ offense was pitiful against the Redskins a week ago. Penalties, miscues, and all-around sloppy play plagued the team from start to finish. With an important road divisional game on the slate, early offensive production will certainly be needed. How will the Saints’ offensive machine attack a young Panther defense?
Drew Brees and company will look to have a better outing in Week 2.
PASS OFFENSE
Against the Washington Redskins in Week 1, the Saints’ passing attack looked disconnected and out of sync, leading to a shockingly pedestrian performance from QB Drew Brees. His uncharacteristic 46% completion percentage was a result of dropped passes, interior pocket pressure, and a non-existent running game. Although some individual players shined last week (Moore and Graham), the unit as a whole failed to live up to expectations.
The Carolina Panthers opened their 2012 season on the road against division rival Tampa Bay. Although the team left Florida with a loss, the pass defense only allowed 138 yards. This is a great sign for the team, as they ranked near the bottom of league last year in defending the pass.
In order for the Saints to win on the road this week, the passing game will need to get on track early. The offensive game-plan needs to focus on high-percentage, low-risk throws that will help sustain early drives. Expect more passes to come towards RB Darren Sproles, as he will be counted upon to act as a safety valve and backfield receiver. TE Jimmy Graham will continue to develop as one of Brees’ favorite targets; his size and speed create an instant mismatch against most secondaries.
RUN OFFENSE
I gave the Saints’ running game an incomplete grade earlier this week for their performance against Washington. It’s very difficult to assess the team’s running prowess after only seeing 10 rushing attempts. Penalties and an early deficit erased any hope of a running game from a week ago; New Orleans was simply forced to throw the ball on basically every down.
As well as the Panthers played against the pass last week, they were the total opposite against the run. Tampa Bay rookie RB Doug Martin was able to gain 95 yards on 24 attempts, leading the way for a unit that gained 130 yards total. The presence of the run for Tampa Bay allowed for the team to absolutely dominate the time of possession battle; the Buccaneers had the ball for 37:27, while Carolina only had possession for 22:33.
New Orleans needs to make establishing the run a top priority this week, especially after last week’s abysmal performance. A strong rotation of Pierre Thomas, Mark Ingram, and Darren Sproles (along with a dash of Chris Ivory) should be enough to make the running game a viable offensive option. The unit doesn’t necessarily have to dominate by any stretch of the imagination. As long as the running game remains a part of the offensive scheme late into the second half, well done.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
QB Drew Brees
The head-scratching performance of Brees from a week ago still remains fresh in the minds of many Saints fans. It was simply that shocking. Number nine should have a better outing against Carolina, a team that he knows extremely well. This isn’t a “must win” for the Saints (Week 2 = waaaaaaay too early for that sort of chatter), but the divisional atmosphere added along with higher expectations in Charlotte this season should make for a festive undercurrent on Sunday, to say the least.
Brees will need to have a Brees-esque game, meaning 300-320 yards, three or more touchdowns, less than two interceptions (if any), and a completion percentage closer to 70%. If all four of those things happen, New Orleans should get the win.
WR Joe Morgan
Morgan was targeted twice last week, dropping both passes and contributing to the Great New Orleans Wide Receiver No-Show of 2012. He saw more time than I originally expected, but he is the team’s fastest wideout, fulfilling a huge need for the offense.
The problem still remains: “inconsistency” and “Joe Morgan” go together like “Detroit Lions” and “how does the defendant plead?” Nonetheless, Morgan will get the opportunity to shine. He just needs to take hold. This week’s contest might be one of his last chances, especially with Adrian Arrington expected to come back from injury soon.
RB Mark Ingram
If Mark Ingram is poised for the breakout season many are hoping for, real production and impact needs to take place. When the Saints’ traded back into the first round during last year’s draft, I’m sure they envisioned getting a running back that would handle not only a large workload carrying the football, but someone that would make opposing defenses multi-dimensional, needing to account for both offensive aspects when facing the Saints.
Ingram has a great opportunity Sunday to prove his worth. He will be facing a defense that allowed 95 yards last week to Doug Martin.
Have a moment with that.
Ingram doesn’t need to exceed or even match Martin’s statistical benchmark; the Saints‘ offense isn’t set up that way. What Ingram does need to, however, instill fear in the Carolina defense. Scratch that. Not even fear. Concern. Genuine concern of a legitimate running game. Concern enough that if Brees struggles for second consecutive game (extremely unlikely, but hey), the offense will be able to count upon Ingram to make the game at least manageable.
The Entire Offensive Line
The play of the line last week contributed heavily to the lack of offensive pop. Pressure allowed on Brees, a lack of push against the Washington defensive line, and countless false start and holding penalties made life miserable. The entire unit looked, like much of the offense, disjointed. Keeping both the edges and middle of the pocket clear for Brees will be key for any sort of passing success. Moreover, creating a push for the running game will only help things along, and might lead to more rushing opportunities later in the contest.
