5 sneaky threats for the Panthers to worry about vs. the Saints in Week 2
By Miles Ruder
Juwan Johnson – TE
One of the more surprising performances from the New Orleans Saints’ dominant win against the Green Bay Packers was from Juwan Johnson.
The Saints let Jared Cook walk in free agency and now the tight end position is led by a committee of players to help fill that void. Johnson isn’t even listed as the TE1 on the depth chart, but he was a problem in Week 1, particularly in the red zone.
In fact, Johnson played just two snaps in the red zone against the Packers with both ending with the ball in his hands for a pair of touchdowns. He finished the game with three receptions for 21 receiving yards in addition to the two scores.
Johnson has a big frame at 6 feet 4 inches tall and 231 pounds. This can cause trouble for the Carolina Panthers linebackers or cornerbacks if he lines up in the slot, which he did numerous times against the Packers.
Although the New York Jets’ tight ends didn’t cause the Panthers much trouble in Week 1, the ball was being thrown to them by a rookie quarterback with a below-average offensive line.
The Saints have an above-average offensive line that can get the job done and a veteran quarterback that is more than capable of finding open receivers.
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When the Saints enter the red zone, just keep an eye out for Johnson who could replicate his season opener performance.