3 pivotal keys to victory for the Carolina Panthers vs. Saints in Week 2

What can the Carolina Panthers do to seek out a pivotal victory against the New Orleans Saints on Monday Night Football in Week 2?

Well, this week could have gone a lot better.

It is bad enough to lose the linchpin of your secondary again, but to follow that up with your starting left guard going down for the year is just adding insult to injury. Something the Carolina Panthers are all too aware of at this point.

This is the nature of an NFL season - you cannot predict injuries and that is why depth is often the deciding factor when it comes down to who succeeds at the end of the year. Something that the Panthers are sorely lacking in, especially at cornerback. But more on that later.

Week 1 was a less-than-stellar debut for the new-look Panthers. Things started off promising and quickly devolved into a painful reality as rookie mistakes and gaps in personnel started to rear their ugly heads.

That isn't to say there weren't some bright spots, as Bryce Young showed real promise and the Panthers' young receiving core performed admirably. Especially Terrace Marshall Jr., who hauled in a pair of really nice catches. But that is also the main issue the team faced, there simply weren't enough plays to look back on and be proud of.

With missed tackles galore and running backs galloping to gains like the defense was on vacation, a lot needs to be worked on in a short period of time if this team wants any hope of remaining competitive against much stiffer competition in the New Orleans Saints.

No one expects the Panthers to even be remotely close in this matchup, but what are some key areas of the game that could lead the underdogs to victory?