Back home in Week 15, the New Orleans Saints will host the Carolina Panthers on Sunday. It was a rematch from Week 10, when the Saints traveled to Carolina and won 17-7. It was rookie quarterback Tyler Shough’s first career victory, but the Saints’ defense forced two turnovers and allowed just 175 total passing yards in the win.
New Orleans is just 3-10 in this bubble, but just got an upset win over the NFC South-leading Tampa Bay Buccaneers on the road. The Panthers are tied for the conference lead and they finish the bye week with a 7-6 record. Despite their surprising record, the Panthers rank just 23rd in total offense. They’ll be up against a New Orleans defense that’s been outstanding lately and ranks 12th overall. Carolina needs to run the ball to be successful offensively, but they failed to do that in Game 1 against New Orleans. Let’s take a look at the situation of both sides in the rematch.
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Black Panther Running Game
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125.5 yards per game (10th)
Carolina is averaging 172.4 rushing yards in seven wins. In six losses, the Panthers are averaging just 91.2 yards rushing. They were held to less than 100 yards rushing four times, going 1-3 in those games. The Saints held Carolina to 73 rushing yards and just 3.2 yards per carry in their first meeting last month.
Offseason signee Rico Dowdle leads the Panthers with 929 yards and five touchdowns. Dowdle was impressive midway through the year but has slowed down in recent weeks, averaging just 49 rushing yards over the past four games. Chuba Hubbard is a reliable and physical backup who has led the Panthers in rushing yards with 900 in each of the past two seasons with 433 yards. Hubbard is a better back between the tackles, while Dowdle is quick in the open field but also has the ability to gain tough interior yardage.
Rookie Trevor Etienne didn’t get many opportunities but has a lot of potential as the third back. Quarterback Bryce Young ranked third on the team with 121 rushing yards, but most of that was rushing rather than designing the run.
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saints defense
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130.9 yards per game (23rd)
The 179 rushing yards the Saints allowed in Tampa Bay last week was actually a bit deceptive. Baker Mayfield gained 42 yards rushing, an ongoing issue for the Saints. However, in addition to 32 rushing yards, New Orleans allowed just 3.2 yards per carry against the Buccaneers running backs. They’ve struggled against the run this season, but Brandon Staley’s unit is a marked improvement in that area from the version we saw on the field the previous two years.
New Orleans’ defensive line has been more physical as of late. End Nathan Shepherd has been on a tear the past few weeks and has had several big stop losses. Nose tackle Davon Godchaux had a solid game against Tampa Bay, even though he has struggled at shutting down blockers and penetrating out of the backfield for much of the year. Junior Bryan Bresee is quietly having a strong season and impacting the opponent’s running game on a weekly basis. Mike Rumf provides solid depth, especially against the run game.
Demario Davis is having a great year, leading the Saints with 118 tackles, five for loss. His incredible instincts, anticipation and ferocious pursuit of the ball are key to the entire defense. While his linebacker, Pete Werner, struggled in space, he was a good run defender in the tackle box. Werner’s 69 tackles ranked second on the team, while his four stops for loss tied a career high. Rookie linebacker Danny Stutsman is a physical fighter who excels at the line of scrimmage and will excel as his playing time increases.
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Rookie safety Jonas Sanker is the leading tackler on the sophomore unit. He and Alontae Taylor lead a group of physical defensive backs. This unit made some poor tackle angles that resulted in bigger gains, but was capable of cutting off runners on the edge. Outside defensive backs Cameron Jordan, Chase Young and Carl Granderson have been outstanding lately, winning games and beating runners down the stretch. This is something they struggled with earlier this year.
In Carolina’s first meeting, the New Orleans Panthers rushed for just 73 yards and 3.2 yards per carry. The Saints need to repeat this performance to sweep NFC South rival Carolina.
This article originally appeared in Saints Wire: Saints vs. Panthers Preview: New Orleans must stop run in bubble
