Carolina Panthers: 4 Things to Watch in Week 5 Against the New Orleans Saints

Despite a 1-3 start, the Carolina Panthers have definitely been one of the surprise teams in the league. This is mostly due to the surprising start of Cam Newton.

Newton was criticized coming out of the draft and many thought him to be a one-year-wonder. He threw for over 400 yards the first two weeks, including against the Green Bay Packers. Then against Jacksonville he didn’t even throw for 200 yards. Some may have thought he had been figured out, but that was before he threw for over 370 yards against Chicago.

Newton has proven that, unless there is a monsoon rolling through, no defense is safe. Now, he gets his first taste of the NFC South in the New Orleans Saints.

He knows a little about rivalry from his SEC days, but this is a whole new level. No matter the record, any team in the NFC South can beat the other. Jimmy Clausen almost did it against the Saints last season—that says a lot.

Despite the difference in expectations, fans should still expect a show and watch out for four key things during the game.

Double Trouble

DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart finally got their mojo going last week against Chicago. They should look to improve against a Saints' defense that normally struggles against the run.

The Saints are currently ninth in run defense, but Carolina has a history of running rampant in New Orleans. When the Panthers were close against the Saints last year, the run game was a huge reason why. I understand the Panthers like to air it out, but the less time Drew Brees spends on the field the better.

If Double Trouble can keep the chains moving, the play action pass will be open and the defense will get more time to rest, as they are going to be busy.

Darren Sproles

Last week, the Panthers made the mistake of kicking to Devin Hester. This week, they have a chance at redemption as they can now not kick to Sproles.

Sproles is a huge playmaker for being 5’6”. He is a special teams beast, but he also is explosive out of the backfield. If the Panthers shut down Sproles, that will take out the X-factor for the Saints.

Panthers' Defense

Despite the amount of points and rushing yards the Panthers allowed, the defense is salvageable. The Panthers have a lot of film on Brees and normally know how to keep him from making big plays. Unfortunately, the Arizona Cardinals were able to light up the secondary so previous results may not matter.

The Saints will try to run, but it is all about their pass game. Greg Hardy and Charles Johnson will need to be in Brees’ face all game if the Panthers are to have any chance.

Cam Newton vs. Drew Brees

At the end of the day, it all comes down to the quarterbacks. Newton and Brees are two high-octane quarterbacks and will make this game a shootout.

Newton’s job on Sunday will be to make plays. I understand the rookie, usually is not asked to do much, but he has proven he is ready to take more of the team on his shoulders. He needs to use his legs and his arm for the Panthers to have any chance.

The biggest thing to watch for is Newton’s decision making. He lapsed for one play and it resulted in a touchdown last week. For the Panthers to have a chance, Newton needs a zero in the turnover column. The panthers can usually get two out of the Saints, so a flawless game by Newton could mean a huge upset for the Panthers and what could be a spark, as their soft part of the schedule comes near .