4 crucial matchups that will decide Panthers at Saints in Week 17
By Noah Bryce
15. 87. FOX. Sunday, Jan 2. 7-8. Panthers +7.0. 4:25 PM ET. 5-10
What are some crucial matchups to keep a close eye on when the Carolina Panthers take on the New Orleans Saints in Week 17?
The Carolina Panthers continued their losing ways in Week 16 to no real shock. But the manner in which the team was beaten was nothing short of embarrassing.
Losing to the reigning Super Bowl champions is one thing. Being blown out at home 32-6 is another entirely.
Thankfully the Washington Football Team lost by an even larger margin or it would be front-page news across the league.
Aside from one drive and one big play, the Panthers were entirely incapable of moving the football on offense. This consistently put a hobbled defense in tough situations.
A defense that became depleted further with the loss of Stephon Gilmore in the third quarter, but things were already decided long before then.
The two-quarterback system doesn’t work. All it does is make an already bad group worse by lack of consistency, and the decision to even try it brings up more questions about Matt Rhule’s ability to lead at the NFL level.
On the other side of the ball, the defense didn’t play that bad of a game considering how often they had a short field or almost no rest. Aside from a 55-yard touchdown run that included multiple missed tackles, that is.
Carolina Panthers have nothing to play for other than pride in Week 17.
Going into a largely meaningless game against the New Orleans Saints in Week 17 from a Panthers perspective, the team has little motivation as there is nothing really on the line anymore besides pride and possibly a contract.
That is not the mindset that you want when going into what has been one of the hardest places for the team to get a win in recent memory. This game is going to be a slog for the Panthers, but there are some matchups that could make it a much easier pill to swallow and possibly even turn an expected loss into a win.
With this in mind, here are four crucial matchups that will likely decide things in Week 17.