Here are some key storylines to watch ahead of this afternoon’s game between the Carolina Panthers and New Orleans Saints at Bank of America Stadium.
Excitement is now building for the Carolina Panthers ahead of their Week 2 contest against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday. There promises to be another healthy crowd at Bank of America Stadium for the crucial NFC South divisional matchup, which is going to be a stiff test for Matt Rhule’s roster in no uncertain terms.
The Saints look set to be without some key figures. But they still have enough in the way of quality to cause the Panthers difficulties if both sides of the football aren’t ready.
There were some encouraging signs from Carolina’s opening day victory over the New York Jets. Although the same red-zone and protection problems were evident once again and they won’t get away with such frailties in this one.
Without further ado, here are four big storylines to keep an eye on when the Panthers take on the Saints.
Storyline No. 1
Have the Carolina Panthers got it right at kicker?
Another week, another kicker for the Panthers.
Ryan Santoso was cut just one game after his trade from the New York Giants, which saves Carolina a seventh-round pick Scott Fitterer might be able to put to good use next spring.
The next man into the poisoned chalice is Zane Gonzalez, who came in for a tryout earlier this offseason without doing enough to warrant a kicking competition with Joey Slye throughout training camp.
Gonzales boasts a career field goal success rate of 78.0 percent, including 72.7% of his attempts with the Arizona Cardinals in 2020. He’ll need to hit the ground running because the Panthers can ill-afford to be looking elsewhere next week.
Can John Miller make a big difference for Carolina Panthers OL?
Not having John Miller occupying the right guard position hurt the Carolina Panthers in Week 1. The veteran’s absence after contracting COVID-19 meant Dennis Daley was thrust into a spot he wasn’t too comfortable in, which resulted in the interior giving up some considerable pressure throughout the contest.
Thankfully for the player and the Panthers, Miller is back and has already been named the starter by head coach Matt Rhule. His partnership alongside stud right tackle Taylor Moton wasn’t the worst in the world in 2020 and there remains some hope this can become an area of real continuity this time around.
Just how much Miller plays will be worth keeping an eye on. The player himself declared that he’s still feeling the after-effects of the virus, which might mean he’s unable to assume the workload Carolina normally gives the former Cincinnati Bengal.
Rhule stated that if Miller is forced to the sidelines due to conditioning at any stage, he’s more than happy with putting Daley back into the lineup if needed.
"“I’m really comfortable with Dennis. We feel like he should be starting. He has a skillset of a starter, he’s just had some bumps along the way but now he has his opportunity. When Johnny [Miller] went down against Baltimore, we had Dennis play the whole first half of that game. I think he’s got tremendous power, he’s got quickness, has length, he should play pretty well.”"
Only time will tell as to how this situation plays out. But it’s worth monitoring and one expects the New Orleans Saints to test Miller early and often after so long away from the gridiron.
Carolina Panthers fortunes in the trenches
As is the case with most divisional battles, what occurs in the trenches will ultimately determine the outcome. The Carolina Panthers have to win in these areas of the field, with their prospects on one side of the football appearing far different to the other.
Carolina’s defensive line made an outstanding impression against the New York Jets, wreaking havoc from start to finish and causing rookie quarterback Zach Wilson untold problems.
Things will be tougher this weekend against a New Orleans protection, although Sean Payton won’t have the services of starting center Erik McCoy once again. This is something the Panthers might be able to take advantage of with Derrick Brown and DaQuan Jones if their Week 1 contributions were any indication.
That’s not forgetting the supreme forces on the edge Carolina has at its disposal.
It’s on the offensive side of things that pose the most concern.
New Orleans will fancy their chance against the Panthers’ offensive line even without Marcus Davenport. If quarterback Sam Darnold doesn’t get enough time in the pocket, some problems could emerge as a result and that won’t be good.
Doing the right things in the trenches is key for the Panthers. Whether they can dig deep and produce the goods is another matter entirely.
How will Sam Darnold cope against a better defense?
It was an encouraging debut from Sam Darnold in Week 1 as he got one over on his former employers to kick off his career with the Carolina Panthers. But this will be far from the best defensive unit he’ll come across throughout the 2021 campaign.
The New Orleans Saints held Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers to just three points last Sunday. A real turnup for the books considering they were going up against the reigning NFL MVP.
Darnold knows the size of the task awaiting him. Any replication of the stuttering second-half display versus the New York Jets won’t end well this weekend at Bank of America Stadium.
That being said, Darnold looked far more composed in the pocket than we became accustomed to seeing at MetLife Stadium. His hard work during the offseason seems to have paid off, although this will be a better measuring stick regarding how much more development is needed.
New Orleans will be all-too-aware of the Panthers’ suspect protection and what could happen if Darnold becomes flustered. Their first task is going to be limiting Christian McCaffrey’s influence, which piles additional pressure on the USC product in return.
Sunday’s game was just the start for Darnold, whose consistency is going to be absolutely pivotal for the Panthers in pursuit of victory.