Panthers vs Saints - Pressure is the Key
If there is one absolute key to a Carolina Panthers victory over the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, it is this: Drew Brees must feel pressured.
Brees currently leads the NFL in passing yards with 1993. He currently has a 105 passer rating overall. Now consider on Sunday he gets two real weapons in Marques Colston and Jeremy Shockey back in to the starting lineup. For anyone that watched the Panthers defense get dismantled by a mediocre passing attack in Tampa Bay last Sunday, this is an extremely concerning situation to be in.
If Panthers defensive coordinator Mike Trgovac thinks rushing his front four (who have been anemic all season) and dropping back into a soft zone is a solid game plan, Carolina fans are in for a long disappointing Sunday.
The only chance the Panthers have in stopping the New Orleans Saints attack? Blitz, blitz, and blitz again. And just when you think you have blitzed too many times…. Blitz.
Thomas Davis used to spy Michael Vick with success. Let him do the same here with Reggie Bush. Carolina will see plenty of screen passed to Bush, as he is more receiver than running back. Thomas Davis spying him step for step will minimize the damage done by Bush.
The New Orleans receivers are nothing special. Ken Lucas and Chris Gamble both have the size and speed to cover man up, only if Brees has no more than three seconds to throw the ball. Force the Panthers defensive backfield to cover for more than three seconds , and Brees has the ability to find the open receiver the majority of the time.
Lets hope the defensive game plan this week is different than last.
Discuss on the largest Carolina Panthers Message Board…
Loading ...
when teams bring a safety down to spy reggie bush, brees goes deep to henderson and meachum. on average he completes 3 out of 4 on deep passes this season.
If the Panthers can run on the Saints then they have a shot. You have to keep Brees off the field and eat the clock. Now that Brees will have Colston and Shockey back, the only shot to stop this is to get in his face. If the Panthers play zone he will kill them.
This game will be a shoot out…..Carolina is going to have to match up offensively. The real matchup is Brees vs Delhomme. Whoever holds onto the ball will win.
Running the ball sounds like a good plan but just ask A.P., Fargus, and Mc Fadden how easy it will be.
….you gotta be kidding with this quote:
“The New Orleans receivers are nothing special.”
Yeah, please, let the Panther’s defense think that.
If they do, the drubbing they got in Tampa Bay last week will look like a walk in the park!
Have you been paying any attention? The New Orleans offense is killing people with their three starting receivers in street clothes (Colston, Patten, Shockey), they just got Deuce McAlister back on the field, and Bush has been excellent (consider the short passing game as a long hand off…). What makes the receivers special is Brees, he doesn’t throw to A RECEIVER he throws to the OPEN RECEIVER. Considering that the most talented guys have been off the field, and Brees has averaged well over 300 yards a game. Imagine what’s going to happen with Colston and Shockey back…and possibly Patten as well…puts a smile on this transplanted (pre-Katrina!) Cajun’s face.
Their defense STUFFED arguably the best RB in the NFL right now in a loss to Minnesota, and frankly, the one bright spot before last Sunday for Oakland was their running game (and their pass defense). The Saints defense can be suspect on passing, and that will be the difference in the game - if they can slow down the more balanced Panthers attack, this is a Saints win.
Take Martin “Erratica” Grammatica away and put Tyler Melhoff on the field from the start of the season, and you are arguably looking at a 5-1 team in New Orleans - they lost by 2 to Denver (Grammatica missed a 43 yard FG with just under 2 minutes left), they lost by 3 to Minnesota (Grammatica missed yet another 43 yard FG with under 2 minutes, plus he was responsible for the blocked FG that was converted to a TD by MN, low kick).
Yes, the Panthers can win, but assuming that any element of the Saints offense is “nothing special” is foolish, and if the Panthers do so there will be a high price.
Not that I’d be upset by it, mind you.
This guy must be kidding ,right? He suggest to have a LB spy Bush. It’s one thing watching Vick to see if he’s going to run out of the pocket or not, but it’s a totaly different tring to stick Bush in the open field tring to contain him. If thats the game plane for Sunday then you guys are going to be a World of hurt. Ya’ll better try and sit back and play zone and hope we make a mistake but if playing Man to Man is the answer Blow Out City….
Thats what i’m tom bout Verret!!!!!!!!!!! who dat. i believe we should win this game if we make mistake free football just like we did against oakland. the panthers are a good team that just had a bad game.
What is the name of the fool that wrote this piece? He thinks the Saints receivers are nothing special? He must be smoking something special instead of watching the games. Drew Brees leads the NFL in everything and he hasn’t had his top 3 receivers to throw to. The Saints receivers are good, steady, and consistent. If Tampa cut them to pieces, Brees and the Saints will make history against them.