The Panthers defense will once again try to keep the game in reach for their struggling offense against the division rival New Orleans Saints
Another week, another game where the Panthers defense did its darn best to keep the game close only for the offense to sputter out. This past week, the defense gave Bryce Young and the offense the ball back down 3 with plenty of time to go for a comeback victory. Unfortunately, the offense turned the ball over on a whimper, and Ejiro Evero’s efforts on defense once again will go unnoticed around the NFL. This week, the Panthers face off against the New Orleans Saints for round 2 of their NFC South matches, this time in New Orleans. Let’s dive in.
- We like turnovers, more of those please: The Panthers have really struggled with forcing turnovers, something that will always help a struggling offense. They are 32nd in the league with a .7 takeaways per game via Teamrankings.com. Last week, Xavier Woods got himself an interception on Baker Mayfield, while the secondary made multiple plays on the ball to swat passes away. This week, the Panthers are more than likely to face Jameis Winston at QB as Derek Carr has entered the concussion protocol for the second time this season. If you know anything about Winston, he is famous for dishing out turnovers. This would be a great game for the defense to be a bit more aggressive at going after the ball.
- Don’t get in fights, please: While Brian Burns hasn’t been playing his best football as of late, that’s no excuse to be throwing punches and getting ejected. The Panthers pass rush is already struggling to create sacks and pressure, so missing their best pass rusher didn’t really help their cause. Burns is clearly frustrated with the team’s direction as a whole, but this is a game where he can make a big impact if he can dial it up and get out of his own head.
- Snap counts: Many Panthers fans were rightfully confused when Jaycee Horn exited the game about halfway through his first game back on Sunday. Marquis Haynes and Yetur Gross-Matos, both players who spent time on IR this season, were also relegated to a bit of a snap count. The Panthers aren’t trying to rush anybody back clearly, however their defense, especially the pass rush, really needs a spark. The Panthers have indicated they expect Horn to play a bit more than his 32 snaps this week, and with Chris Olave coming to town and an offensive line beat up but still mostly playing their starters, the amount of snaps these guys play could make a major difference.]
- Monitor Taysom Hill: I typically only do 3 bullet points, but the Saints have gotten franchise quarterback Taysom Hill a lot more involved as the season has gone on, both as a change of pace rushing option and as a receiver. Honestly, if he’s on the field, it might make sense to have either Frankie Luvu or Jeremy Chinn manned up/spying him. While I will never not make fun of how much money the Saints have paid the guy over the years, his effect when the offense needs a spark is pronounced.
What are you looking for, Panthers fans?