4 things Matt Rhule must get right at the Saints in Week 7
By Dean Jones
Getting the protection right
One of the Carolina Panthers’ real failings against the Bears was their lack of protection for quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. This was somewhat uncharacteristic considering what we’ve seen from the offensive line overall, but Chicago’s dominant defensive front is something the team won’t see every week.
That being said, the competition isn’t going to get any easier at the Saints. The likes of Cameron Jordan and Trey Hendrickson will see this as a real opportunity to do some damage, so things must improve from last weekend or it could be a long afternoon.
Hopefully, their last outing was just a blip, and the Panthers hadn’t given up a sack during the two games before their loss to Chicago. They boast two elite edge protectors in Russell Okung and Taylor Moton who are among the NFL’s best tackle tandems and this should stand them in good stead coming up against a fierce Saints pass-rush.
The offensive line interior does come with some concerns, particularly if Chris Reed continues to regress. What will be important for Matt Rhule and his coaching staff is coming up with the right sort of scheme that takes some of the pressure off at the line of scrimmage.
If they can do this, get the football out quickly, and provide enough running lanes to keep the clock ticking over, then the Panthers might just half a chance.