In Week 10, the New Orleans Saints earned their second victory of the season, this time against the Carolina Panthers. On offense, QB Tyler Shough had his breakout performance and dealt with everything Carolina threw at him. It was an impressive day for the rookie, and the offense looked decent, but the Saints’ defense was the reason why they kept the lead.
DC Brandon Staley had the perfect plan to overwhelm the Panthers’ offense in Week 10, and the Saints must do the same in their second matchup.
What Was the Saints’ Defensive Strategy the First Time Around?
When the Saints first played the Panthers this season, Staley had a clear plan. The first step was to stop the run, which was not easy. At the time, Panthers Rico Dowdle was one of the best RBs in the NFL.
In his four games before the Saints matchup, Dowdle was ranked 3rd, 2nd, 8th, and 10th among all RBs according to PFSN’s Defensive Impact Metric. The Saints’ defense was also struggling at that point, so it was a horrible matchup, but somehow New Orleans pulled it off. Dowdle’s final grade for this game was 69.1, ranking him 31st on the week.
The final step was to take away splash plays and force Young to beat the defense short. This has been a calling card of New Orleans’ defense all season, and in recent weeks, it has helped the team deliver some great defensive performances. Against the Panthers, it could be the key to victory.
Carolina’s QB has had a significantly up-and-down start to his career, and in the short game, Young has really struggled. This is where a defense can cause turnovers, keep the Panthers’ offense from advancing down the field, or get to the QB.
By stopping the run and taking away the deep ball, the Saints’ defense has success against the Panthers, but can they do it again?
The Saints Can Repeat Their Defensive Plan, but It Will Be More Difficult This Time
With Week 15 being the second time these teams will face off, the Panthers have time to prepare for Staley’s plan and overcome it. It’s doubtful the Saints will enter this matchup with an identical plan for Carolina’s offense, but even if there are small changes, the Panthers could be ready for anything.
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Sometimes, it really just comes down to which type of Panthers team you are getting, the one that struggles against bad teams? Or the one that can beat a Super Bowl favorite. That has been the story of this season for Carolina.
Focusing on what the Saints can control, any success on defense starts with stopping the run. Against the Los Angeles Rams, Carolina’s RB Chuba Hubbard had an excellent performance, which helped the Panthers secure a shocking victory. The Saints can not let any part of this rushing attack get going if they want to win.
