Sir Purr
Well-known member
- Mar 16, 2019
- 1,969
- 0
The turnover margin
As the Panthers witnessed in Week 6, playing against Bucs’ quarterback Jameis Winston means there will be plenty of opportunities for takeaways.
The Saints picked off Winston four times last Sunday, including a 55-yard interception return for a touchdown, while the Bucs were unable to force any turnovers of their own.
Earlier in the year, the Panthers led the NFL in pass defense, but lately, Carolina has struggled a bit against the pass. Still, the team ranks third in interceptions (12), but the defense hasn’t been able to get a takeaway since Week 9. As flashy as the defense has looked at times – racking up sacks and takeaways – those big plays have often covered up some of its deficiencies.
Four times this season the Panthers have allowed over 300 yards passing. In three of the four, they have still emerged victorious due to a plus-11 turnover differential. However, the loss to the Falcons is a prime example of what can happen when those weaknesses aren’t masked by takeaways.
Keeping Brees safe
In the Saints’ loss to the Falcons, Brees was sacked six times and hit another four. Clearly that’s not a winning recipe, and the Saints made sure to get it fixed.
Against the Bucs, Brees was only sacked once, with two other hits. Protection like that is what allowed him to throw for 228 yards and three touchdowns.
It also helps when half of those yards can go to one person. Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas hauled in eight catches for 114 yards and a touchdown – marking his sixth game with over 100 receiving yards this season.
The Panthers had trouble containing the Falcons two biggest receiving threats last Sunday, as wide receivers Calvin Ridley and Julio Jones recorded 143 and 91 yards, respectively.
Unlike the Falcons’ duo, the Saints’ next biggest receiving threat comes out of the backfield in running back Alvin Kamara. With the front seven responsible for Kamara, that should allow the secondary to focus solely on shutting down Thomas.