2 dark-horse Panthers defenders that need to perform vs. the Saints
By Tyler Ball
FOX. 87. 1 PM ET. 1-0. Panthers +3.0. 1-0. 15. Sunday, September 19
Which dark-horse Carolina Panthers defenders could have a big part to play when they take on the New Orleans Saints in Week 2?
It’s no secret that the Carolina Panthers have high-caliber talent on defense. This is something that came to the fore pretty quickly against the New York Jets as Matt Rhule’s men started their season with a 19-14 success at Bank of America Stadium.
It wasn’t perfect. But few Week 1 wins truly are.
What comes next will be more important for the Panthers, who look to get themselves to 2-0 with a win versus the New Orleans Saints in Week 2.
Of course, the Saints head into the game with a substantial amount of momentum after smoking the Green Bay Packers. So the size of the task awaiting Carolina cannot be understated despite New Orleans missing some key players for the contest.
The defense needs to set the tone with Jeremy Chinn, Donte Jackson, Brian Burns, Derrick Brown, Shaq Thompson, and rookie Jaycee Horn just to name a few.
However, there are also players currently flying somewhat under the radar that need to step up and make a lasting contribution to Phil Snow’s unit.
With this in mind, here are two dark-horse defensive players that the Panthers need to show up this weekend if they want to win against the Saints.