Returning home in Week 15, the New Orleans Saints host the Carolina Panthers on Sunday. This is a rematch of Week 10, when the Saints traveled to Carolina and won by a 17-7 score. It was the first career victory for rookie quarterback Tyler Shough, but was won by a Saints defense that forced two turnovers and allowed only 175 total yards.
New Orleans comes into this rematch with just a 3-10 record, but fresh off a road upset of the NFC South leading Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Tied for the division lead are these Panthers, who come in with a 7-6 mark and off their bye week. Despite their surprising record, the Panthers are ranked just 23rd in total offense. They’ll counter a New Orleans defense that’s been playing well of late and ranks 12th overall. Carolina needs to run the ball for any offensive success, but they failed to do so in their first matchup with New Orleans. We take a look at both sides in that aspect of the rematch.
Panthers Running Game
- 125.5 yards per game (10th)
- 4.4 per carry (15th)
- 7 touchdowns (27th)
Carolina has averaged 172.4 rushing yards in their seven wins. In their six losses, the Panthers have averaged only 91.2 yards on the ground. They’ve been held to under 100 yards rushing four times, going 1-3 in those contests. The Saints held Carolina to 73 yards rushing and just 3.2 per carry in their first meeting last month.
Offseason signing Rico Dowdle leads the Panthers in rushing with 929 yards and 5 touchdowns on the ground. Dowdle was on a tear through the middle of the year but has tailed off in recent weeks, averaging just 49 yards rushing in his last four games. Chuba Hubbard is a reliable and rugged backup, picking up 433 yards on the ground after leading the Panthers with over 900 rushing yards in each of the last two seasons. Hubbard is a better back between the tackles, while Dowdle has big-play speed in the open field but is also capable of picking up tough inside yardage.
Rookie Trevor Etienne doesn’t get many opportunities, but has big-play potential as the third back. Quarterback Bryce Young is third on the team with 121 rushing yards, but most of those are on scrambles rather than designed runs.
Saints Run Defense
- 130.9 yards per game (23rd)
- 4.1 per carry (14th)
- 11 touchdowns (14th)
The 179 yards rushing that the Saints allowed last week to Tampa Bay is actually a bit deceiving. Baker Mayfield picked up 42 of those yards on scrambles, which is an ongoing problem for the Saints. Aside from a 32-yard run, however, New Orleans allowed just 3.2 yards per carry against Buccaneers running backs. They’ve not been great against the run this season, but the unit of Brandon Staley has shown noticeable improvement in this area from the version we’ve seen on the field the previous two years.
New Orleans has been more physical along their defensive line recently. End Nathan Shepherd has been on a tear for the last several weeks and has a few big stops for loss. Nose tackle Davon Godchaux played very well against Tampa Bay, though has been inconsistent at tying up blockers and getting backfield penetration most of the year. Third-year end Bryan Bresee has quietly put together a strong season and has affected opponent’s running games on a weekly basis. Mike Rumph has provided solid depth, especially against the run.
Demario Davis is having a fantastic year and leads the Saints with 118 tackles, including 5 for loss. His amazing instincts, anticipation, and ferocious pursuit of the ball are the key to the entire defense. While fellow linebacker Pete Werner struggles in space, he’s a good run defender in the tackle box. Werner’s 69 tackles are second on the team, while his four stops for loss matches a career high. Rookie linebacker Danny Stutsman is a physical bruiser that excels around the line of scrimmage and has done well with increased playing time.
Rookie safety Jonas Sanker is the leading tackler in the secondary. He and Alontae Taylor lead a group of physical defensive backs. This group has been guilty of some bad tackling angles leading to bigger gains, but is capable of cutting down runners at the edge. Outside defenders Cameron Jordan, Chase Young, and Carl Granderson have done a nice job recently of winning their matchups and crashing down on runners for losses. It was something they struggled with earlier in the year.
In their first meeting in Carolina, New Orleans held the Panthers to just 73 rushing yards and 3.2 per carry. The Saints will need to repeat this kind of performance to pull off a sweep of NFC South rival Carolina.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Saints vs. Panthers preview: New Orleans must stop the run in rematch
About the Author
