4 things Matt Rhule must get right at the Saints in Week 7
By Dean Jones
How to cope with Alvin Kamara
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out who the primary danger is on the New Orleans Saints. Alvin Kamara is arguably the NFL’s best dual-threat running back with Christian McCaffrey on the sidelines and how the Carolina Panthers cope with his immense threat is going to be key.
If Matt Rhule and his staff don’t get this right, it is going to cost them. Kamara is a threat to score every time he touches the ball and he is equally as effective either running or in passing situations.
Just how the Panthers can limit Kamara’s influence is another matter entirely. Their linebacker corps has been a real disappointment this season outside of the contribution made by rookie Jeremy Chinn. So whether they can turn things around in the face of an elite talent will have a big say on how the game goes.
Setting the edge is going to be vitally important. This is something that Brian Burns and Stephen Weatherly have done well. But they are coming up against two of the best tackles in the NFL at the Saints and will not have things their own way by any stretch of the imagination.
This should’ve been the focal point of Rhule and Phil Snow’s preparation, even with All-Pro wide receiver Michael Thomas returning to the fold. Kamara is a difficult proposition to bring down in open space and the less time he gets to make moves in tight windows, then the better Carolina’s chances will be.