Panthers Look To Make Major Statement In Week 2
The Saints and Panthers both took home wins in Week 1. Do the black cats have any shot against the team who just throttled Aaron Rodgers?
Matthew Horner - Sep 16, 2021, 10:53pm EDT
- The Panthers took home a win against the New York Jets at home last week, but a whole new challenge awaits in the Saints.
- The Panthers are currently +3.5 (-106) home underdogs to the Saints in Week 2. They are +160 on the moneyline, while New Orleans is -190.
- The Saints dismantled the Green Bay Packers in Week 1, taking it to Aaron Rodgers and Co. in a huge 38-3 blowout victory. Can they continue to build off of that success against Carolina this week?
Saints Look To Build Off Massive Win
Let the Jameis Winston hype train roll out of the station and right into our hearts. Saints fans were ecstatic on Sunday, when their new QB threw for 5 TDs in just 20 attempts on his way to a turnover-less performance. They couldn't have hoped for better starting off the post-Drew Brees era. They broke the Packers 38-3, in a game they closed as 5-point underdogs. Talk about a statement.
The run game looked strong as well, as not to be discounted. They had 171 rushing yards and an impressive 4.4 yards per carry. But the real surprise happened on defense, where New Orleans completely shut down reigning NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers and the Packers No. 1 offense from last year. The Pack managed just 229 yards and had three turnovers.
Can they keep it rolling against Carolina and their new QB?
Black Cat Comeback
The Panthers looked like a balanced squad in their 19-14 defeat of the New York Jets last Sunday. New signal-caller Sam Darnold threw for 279 yards and a TD, while also grabbing himself a rushing score. Carolina offensive coordinator Joe Brady and head coach Matt Rhule finally let star RB Christian McCaffery catch some balls out of the backfield, which allowed him to haul in nine passes for 89 yards threw the air, his best numbers since 2019. He also rushed for 98 yards.
The defense crushed Jets rookie QB Zach Wilson to the tune of six sacks and an interception, while also limiting New York to an abysmal 45 total rushing yards. They will need to have that type of performance if they hope to defeat the favored Saints.
Prediction
The game will come down to whether or not Winston can keep his turnovers to a minimum. If he can do that, the Saints should be able to find success. However, Carolina is a tough division opponent who always plays the Saints hard.
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