5 Saints players the Carolina Panthers must keep quiet in Week 2

Which New Orleans Saints players must the Carolina Panthers keep quiet in Week 2 to win their second-straight game to start the season?

After a defensively dominant Week 1 victory over the New York Jets, the Carolina Panthers will kick off their division schedule on Sunday, hosting the New Orleans Saints.

The Panthers will get a second-straight home game to start the season and aim to slow down a New Orleans team that is coming off a blowout 38-3 victory over the Green Bay Packers this week.

Not only is Carolina looking to start the season 2-0 but they’ll also be playing to end a four-game Saints winning streak between the two teams. New Orleans has won eight of the last nine meetings between the two NFC South foes.

The difference this year is quarterback Drew Brees is now retired and Jameis Winston is leading the charge. The former No. 1 overall selection threw five touchdowns against the Packers to start the year.

Carolina Panthers will face an under-strength Saints team.

So, while it might not look like the same Saints team as years past, they’re still a well-coached team by Sean Payton, and will undoubtedly be motivated to beat the Panthers on their home turf.

Luckily for Carolina, New Orleans will be without some key defensive players in Marshon Lattimore, Marcus Davenport, and David Onyemata, and still won’t have star wide receiver, Michael Thomas.

This will be the first of two meetings this year between the two, with the second not coming until January. Here is a look at five New Orleans players that Carolina has to keep quiet to have any chance of winning this game.