Panthers focused on Saints, not Playoffs

Written by Sharon Thorsland

Fresh off their bye week, a rejuvenated and healthy Panthers team head to the Big Easy for a division matchup against the Saints. Although it’s been a down year for their NFC South foe, the Saints (3-10) are coming off a huge upset of the Bucs in Tampa last week. And they already had the Panthers attention after beating them in Carolina in week 10. So, even with the playoffs in the picture, no one is overlooking this team. “We know what’s in front of us but we’re just going to take it one week at a time,” said running back Chuba Hubbard. “We’ve got the Saints this week and that’s our main focus. After that, we’ll move on, but right now that’s where all our eyes are.”

With a rookie quarterback running the offense, the Saints have had their issues moving the ball this season. But Tyler Shough has improved every week since taking over the offense in week nine. He certainly played well against the Panthers the first time out, throwing two touchdowns. Star receiver Chris Olave is Shough’s go-to guy, he’s got 76 catches and five touchdowns. Tight end Juwan Johnson is also a key piece of the passing game, with 58 catches and three scores. All-Pro running back Alvin Kamara has been battling knee and ankle injuries this season, so rookie Devin Neal has gotten more playing time. But he’s dealing with an abdominal injury, so don’t be surprised to see second year player Audric Estime or do-everything player Taysom Hill take over.

The Saints defense has evolved into a pretty impressive unit, ranking in the top 10 in in the league in several categories, including third down percentage, yards per play, and passing defense. Pro Bowl defensive end Cam Jordan is in his 15th season but never seems to slow down; he leads the team with 6.5 sacks. Jordan teams with fellow Pro Bowler Chase Young and veteran Carl Granderson, they’ve combined for 9.5 sacks. Pro Bowl middle linebacker DeMario Davis continues to be one of the best in the game, he leads the team in tackles and has two forced fumbles. The Saints are excellent against the pass, ranking 6th in the league giving up just 182 passing yards per game. Second year cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry leads the way with three interceptions.

No doubt this game will come down to the wire. It’s a division game between two teams that are playing very well right now. And while the Saints might be out of the playoff picture, they’d certainly love to try and spoil the Panthers chances at the postseason. And after losing to the Saints at home earlier this season, the Panthers would definitely love to return the favor. “Anytime you lose, you want to get your get back,” said defensive tackle Turk Wharton. “So, yeah, this is a get back game for us, and something that’s in the way of where we want to go.”