3 Panthers players to watch for on Sunday against Saints

Ian Thomas

I put Ian Thomas last on this list because we have already seen what he can do. This game is less important for him in the sense that he does not need to make an impact in order to make an impression. He has done that already in multiple games this season. Rather, he just needs to continue what he has been doing over the last couple of games.

Overall, he has caught 31 passes for 272 yards and a touchdown. In particular, he is very good at holding on to the football. According to statistics from Pro football Focus he has a 76.6 fumble rating. Although that may seem a little strange in terms of wording, the bottom line is that he does not fumble.

Although the Panthers have another capable tight end in Chris Manhertz, it would not be a stretch to say that Thomas is the successor to Greg Olsen. Thomas had a relatively quiet game last Sunday catching four passes for 48 yards. Those are not bad statistics by any means and Sunday was yet another game where he could take the positives and build off of them. I look for him to do the same thing on Sunday. Now is his last chance to make a good impression before the off-season. It’s important that he has something positive to think about heading into training camp next season.