What a game this is going to be this week! The Carolina Panthers, the hottest team in the NFL right now on win 8 streak, against the New Orleans Saints, who at the midseason mark looked like the lock for the NFC South crown. What makes this game even more interesting is that is the first meeting of the two in the span of 3 weeks, the outcome of which will almost certainly determine the winner of the division. So, who is going to come out on top in this contest? Let's take a look at some key factors.
For the Panthers, the play of Cam Netwon (as always) is critical. Newton has played extremely well for the most part during this win eight streak; however, I'm a little concerned because people are overlooking the fact that Newton has been shaky in the last two games (he threw two awful picks against the Bucs, which have gone overlooked because they won 27-6). Yet, Newton has seemed to shine on the big stage this year, with his best performance of the season coming on Monday Night Football against the Patriots (yes, I know the win was controversial...). If Newton can attack the Saints defense successfully and limit his turnovers, then I think the Panthers have a legitimate shot in this one.Also, I cannot overlook how well the Panthers defense has been playing this year. When Newton has made mistakes, the defense has played its part and kept the Panthers in the game. Charles Johnson comes back from injury for this game, which should definitely bolster both their run defense and pass rush. As always, though, the secondary remains a concern. Granted, they have played quite well this year, but I believe that's mostly in thanks to the front 7. When the opposing QB has had time to throw (as we saw in the their games against the Dolphins and Bucs, both games in which Charles Johnson did not play), the Panthers secondary has made some awful plays, including two deep passes to Mike Wallace (and almost a third . . . waaaaaaaaaaaay too close...) and a big play last week to Vincent Jackson. This concerns me because the Saints have an extremely talented and versatile receiving corps. If the Panthers front line can't get pressure on Brees, this could be a long night for Carolina.
Which brings me to New Orleans. I hate to fall into the common thread of emphasizing the QB play over everything else, but I truly believe Drew Brees will be the key factor for the Saints in this game. Brees has struggled on the road recently (clearly evidenced in their embarrassing loss to the Seahawks), but he's back on his home turf this week, where he is undefeated this season. As previously mentioned, I believe this Panthers pass defense is not as good as the stats indicate, so if Brees can get hot early, the Saints should be able to dictate the pace of the game. Also, look for Jimmy Graham to be heavily involved (unless Luke Kuechly holds him, haha...). The Panthers had trouble with Gronk when they played the Patriots, so look for Jimmy Graham to have success as well.So, who do I think will win? Although I REALLY hope the Panthers win, I think the Saints will rebound from an embarrassing road loss to Seattle and will come home and take care of business on Sunday night. But it will be close.
Prediction:
Panthers 21
Saints 31
Disagree with me? I'll hear your arguments in the comments section below.
I agree with most of what you say here. While the Panthers run D is outstanding and their pass rush is very good, that secondary is a huge liability, especially when facing an elite QB like Brees.
ReplyDeleteThe Saints should take this one....it'll be a different story in Carolina, though.