What Can the Panthers Learn from Their First Loss to the Saints?
Fresh off a stellar win against the Packers, the Panthers were routed by a struggling Saints team at home. A loss to a division rival at home is never good. Momentum was building, but the team persevered and is facing the Saints again in Week 15. The stakes are higher than ever after the Buccaneers dropped a crucial game to the Falcons in Week 14. Now the Panthers are in a position to win the NFC South for the first time in 10 years. Winning the division would be a massive win for this current regime and for third-year quarterback Bryce Young.
In Week 10, the Saints brought pressure. Of the Panthers’ 27 passing attempts, they rushed on 11 plays, resulting in 10 quarterback pressures and two sacks. Young has his moments under pressure, but generally isn’t amazing under pressure, particularly when Young managed to evade the pressure and hit Tetairoa McMillan for a 226-yard splash play. This play really shows what Young is capable of as a passer. Besides that spectacular play, it looks like he takes too long to bail on the pocket when it's collapsed. He will keep his eyes downfield too long as he gets surrounded by the pass rush. The other issue is the lack of passing depth. Young almost exclusively threw short-yardage passes under 10 yards. In recent weeks, he’s been given the green light to pass more and has had success, particularly in Week 11. Ultimately, it will be up to Young to keep up some consistency from Week 13.
The Saints effectively shut down the run game, keeping Rico Dowdle to 56 rushing yards. The more important stat is that of his 56 rushing yards, 45 of which were after contact. The Saints kept a spy on the running game for much of the game, keying on Dowdle's hot streak. Even on his best play, Dowdle was almost tackled before he managed to break away. The offensive line did a good job, for the most part, of creating holes through zone plays and gaps, but never managed to keep them open for long. Even when open holes were there, there was usually a linebacker in the second level ready for the run. The Saints dared Young to beat them, and it paid off huge. The game should play out differently this time around. Chuba Hubbard looks recovered from his injury, and coming off the bye, he and Dowdle should have benefited from the week of rest. Jalen Coker is also getting back into the swing of things and is carving out the WR2 role, which has been drastically needed.
It was a rough day for the defense, and in particular for Jaycee Horn. Horn has been phenomenal this year, but unfortunately let some big plays happen. The worst play wasn’t entirely his fault, as he tripped looking back at the ball. Before he fell, he was playing solid coverage, keeping up with the receiver. The run game was primarily held in check, only giving up 122 rushing yards. The pass rush was good as well, getting nine pressures and two sacks.
The key for Week 15 will be to get the run game going. The Panthers have fully become a run team, and the more they embrace it, the better the offense is. After a week of rest and Coker filling in the crucial WR2, the offense should be much better this time around. I find it hard to believe that Horn will have another awful game. He’s a premier corner in the league, but even the legends have their bad days. Finally, the team is riding high after upsetting the Rams. With the division title in sight, it’s time to push on the gas and seal the deal.
