New Orleans Saints vs. Carolina Panthers: Complete Week 9 Preview for Carolina
The Carolina Panthers (3-4-1) will play its second prime-time game of the season this Thursday when the rival New Orleans Saints (3-4) come to town. Despite the losing records of both teams, Thursday's game will allow the winner to take sole possession of first place in the NFC South.
A similar scenario was in play last year when these two teams met for their first meeting of the season, and it only stands to reason it's the case this season.
Carolina is a slight underdog according to OddsShark.com, but it shouldn't be surprising to see many experts and analysts pick the Saints after the latter beat up the Green Bay Packers on Sunday night. However, the history between the two would suggest that the outcome could go either way. The Panthers have the edge on the all-time series at 20-18 and have even won three of the last four matchups.
Thursday night's game will kickoff the start of the second half of the season and after the next two weeks, Carolina will have a much more favorable schedule ahead of it. Securing a home win against a division rival would be a huge boost.
How ready will the Panthers be on a short week?
Based on last week's last-minute 13-9 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, Carolina should be anxious to get back out on the field. Regardless of the injuries, poor play by different units and a sub-.500 record during the first half of the season, the Panthers remain in a very good position to be a playoff contender.
Here is a look at this week's preview.
Carolina Panthers Week 8 Recap
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Finally, the Carolina defense that we all know and love showed up last week and played very well. Unfortunately, the offense (and a degree of common sense) failed to arrive at the stadium. The first 59:13 featured a back-and-forth battle with both teams failing to execute inside the red zone and being victimized by mistakes.
However, with 47 seconds left to play, Russell Wilson found a way to get the ball into the end zone for the winning touchdown, as the Seahawks prevailed, 13-9. The Panthers had an opportunity to make something happen on their final drive, but the line failed Cam Newton and led to two sacks and two incomplete passes.
Newton was not free of blame on the day as he had two miscues inside the red zone and on three first-quarter trips, the Panthers only came away with three points.
The silver lining to be taken from this game is the play of the defense and the performance of running back Jonathan Stewart. As mentioned earlier, the defense showed up after surrendering a lot of points this month. It is the hope that defense featured in Week 8 is the same one that plays out the rest of the way.
Stewart had a good game on the ground and, for the first time this season gave Carolina a legitimate ground attack that did not feature Newton. His 79 yards on 16 attempts would have gone a long way had the Carolina passing game shown any teeth.
Both components will be a huge necessity moving into the second half of the season.
News and Notes
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Running Game Returning to Full Strength
Carolina received some good news this week as DeAngelo Williams appears ready for his return Thursday. With his return and the performance of Jonathan Stewart last week, Carolina should have a solid running game in a key meeting with a division rival. Hopefully, both running backs are able to stay healthy the rest of the way.
The biggest concern surrounds an offensive line that has been riddled by injuries and has underperformed this year. However, having a healthy backfield will go a long way in boosting the confidence of the fanbase and the coaching staff.
Lester In, Reaves Out
Robert Lester was signed from the practice squad, and as a result the Panthers cut Darrin Reaves to make room for him. With Williams returning, letting Reaves go was an option. Lester should be able to shore up a suspect secondary and going up against the pass-happy Saints, Carolina will need all the help it can get.
What's the Deal with Harper?
Roman Harper admitted that he was not injured following Seattle's touchdown late in the fourth quarter last Sunday that cost Carolina a timeout.
His reason for causing the delay had to do with how he was feeling. This would probably be a bigger story if Carolina was able to put together a drive and needed that third timeout. However, the team's final offensive series was nothing short of pathetic.
It still merits attention to Harper's reaction and thought process following that scoring play. Granted, it's an emotional game and considering how well the defense had played that day, it's understandable to be frustrated at giving up a late touchdown. But as a veteran, Harper should have conducted himself in a more professional manner.
He could make up for his in-game mental lapse by helping the Panthers defeat his old team, the New Orleans Saints.
Ealy Starting to Emerge
Kony Ealy was projected to get minimal playing time this season, but offseason issues have forced the young man to pick up the slack in a baptism by fire. He has taken some time to make progress, but as Panthers.com writer Bryan Strickland noted in his mailbag, Ealy has made some strides.
Ron Rivera feels the rookie's further ahead than expected and even noted his defense against the run. Last week, Ealy recorded two tackles, with one of them being the first sack of his career. It would be a welcome sight to see the kid find his legs in the professional game; the defensive front could really benefit from having another legitimate edge pass-rusher.
Second Half More Favorable
The Panthers have two more games of a grueling five-game stretch. After next week's game at Philadelphia, Carolina will play opponents with a combined record of 13-24 (.351).
The second half of the season will see an even split between home and away games, but December will feature a trio of games against division rivals and only one against an above .500 opponent (Cleveland).
Things could change, but the Panthers are a better team than it has shown this season. The eventual return of Frank Alexander (suspension) and Mike Tolbert (injured reserve/return list) later in the season further helps Carolina's cause.
Looking at their remaining schedule, there is no reason to believe that Carolina cannot go 6-2. It's unlikely the Panthers will win at Philadelphia or in New Orleans. However, the worst that could happen is a 4-4 record to end the season. That will not help the Panthers as it would give the team a final record of 7-8-1. The NFC South may not be as good as it was last year, but Carolina will need a winning record to have a shot at a postseason berth.
Injury Report
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| Player/Position | Injury | Game Status |
| Byron Bell, LT | Knee | Out |
| Bene Benwikere, CB | Ankle | Out |
| Chase Blackburn, OLB | Knee | Out |
| Philly Brown, WR | Concussion | Out |
| Nate Chandler, RT | Thigh | Probable |
| Thomas DeCoud, S | Hamstring | Questionable |
| Kawann Short, DT | Ankle | Questionable |
| Amini Silatolu, OG | Calf | Out |
| Trai Turner, OG | Knee | Out |
| Fozzy Whittaker, RB | Thigh | Out |
| Jason Williams, OLB | Hip | Probable |
| DeAngelo Williams, RB | Ankle | Probable |
Source: Panthers.com
Update for October 29th
The line will be lacking its starters, but considering the performance of the unit this season, it's unlikely anyone really notices (unless the passing and running games thrive). The one notable change on the Carolina offensive line will be the first professional start of David Foucault. The former Canadian Football League first-round selection will start at left tackle for the injured Byron Bell.
The running game gets a boost as DeAngelo Williams is not only ready to go, but he has been listed as probable after being listed as questionable on the NFL Network earlier on Wednesday. It's the hope of the Carolina coaching staff that Williams will be able to establish a solid running game along with Jonathan Stewart. The only thing left is to get Mike Tolbert back on the field.
End of Update
The short week has many from the offensive line making this list and the last thing anyone wants to see is that unit further depleted. More information should become available and the final status for Thursday's game should be ready by Wednesday night.
DeAngelo Williams should be playing, as noted earlier in the preview, and could be at worst listed as questionable for the game against New Orleans. The biggest concern right now is the health of the offensive linemen as four starters are gracing this week's report.
Chase Blackburn will miss the remainder of the season as he heads to the injured reserve. ESPN's David Newton noted this move on Twitter on Tuesday.
"#Panthers signed OT Mike Remmers to the active roster from #Rams practice squad. LB Chase Blackburn placed on IR.
— David Newton (@DNewtonespn) October 28, 2014"
The last thing Carolina needs is another injury, but linebacker is one position that has been in decent shape all year.
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X-Factors and Key Matchups to Watch
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Carolina Front Seven vs. Drew Brees
The Panthers were able to defeat the New Orleans Saints at home last year, thanks in part to a very strong pass rush. Edge-rushers recorded 3.5 of the six sacks came Carolina registered that day.
Unfortunately, the man responsible for three of those sacks was Greg Hardy. As every Panther fan knows, he won't be playing Thursday. Generating a pass rush this time around will go a long way toward securing a win. However, the Panthers haven't been as potent in that department as they were a year ago.
Brees can pick apart any team, and going up against a team that ranks 18th against the pass, the veteran Pro Bowl QB could have a big day. If the Panthers coverage can blanket his receivers and the defensive line can win the battle up front, Brees could find himself running for his life and kept off his game.
Cam Newton vs. New Orleans Secondary
While defending the pass has been a chore for the Panthers, it has been a nightmare for the Saints. New Orleans ranks at the bottom (31st) in stopping the opposing passing game and that could work in the favor of Newton.
He has been a lot better in the passing game this year, completing 60 percent of his passes. If the offensive line can avoid devolving into a turnstile Thursday night, Newton will have the time necessary to find his key targets, Kelvin Benjamin and Greg Olsen. Hopefully, the Carolina offense won't have to be one-dimensional.
DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart vs. New Orleans Run Defense
Considering that Cam Newton was unable to rush for as much yardages (although he had only four attempts), it stands to reason that the Saints will key in on Newton to prevent him from making plays with his legs.
This is where the running game comes into play. Last year, Williams rushed for 67 yards and a touchdown when the Saints visited Charlotte, and a healthy duo of Williams and Stewart will do wonders for an offense that has struggled to run the ball.
Williams' return couldn't have come at a better time. Stewart should look to pick up where he left off last week, and if the tandem once known as Double Trouble emerges Thursday night, it will take a lot of pressure off Newton.
Carolina's X-Factor of the Week: Roman Harper
This is two fold. First, Harper spent many years with New Orleans and is very familiar with the Saints offensive system. This makes him a valuable asset for preparing and letting his new teammates know what kind of tendencies to look for from the New Orleans offense.
Second, as a member of the secondary, he will have a busy night. Jimmy Graham is always a threat and the excellent rookie season by Brandin Cooks has allowed Drew Brees to continue throwing deep. Kenny Stills is another threat, so Harper's veteran experience and knowledge of the Saints offense could be the difference in a win or a loss.
Prediction
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The Carolina Panthers might be viewed as underdogs by much of the NFL sportswriting world. However, this writer is predicting the upset based on a variety of factors.
First, the Saints are winless on the road this season and have struggled in road games going back to last season. Second, this is a rivalry game and nothing is ever a given in such games. Finally, the performance of the defense last week showed that this team is not ready to quit, and the offense will have a chip on its shoulder from its pitiful display against Seattle.
Carolina should use a heavy dose of the running game, but Kelvin Benjamin and Greg Olsen will step up when Cam Newton looks their way in the aerial attack. If all goes well, the Saints defense will become unbalanced and be on their heels for much of the game. Additionally, there could be a degree of overconfidence on the part of New Orleans following its win against Green Bay.
Both teams know how important this game will be, as first place in the NFC South will be on the line. In the end, Carolina will want it more and reestablish its advantage in the chase for the division crown.
Prediction
Carolina 31, New Orleans 27
All player and team information courtesy of Panthers.com, ESPN.com, Pro-Football-Reference.com, and Twitter.com.
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