Saints vs. Panthers preview: New Orleans striving for NFC’s top seed
The New Orleans Saints have already won the NFC South. So, what’s next for the French Quarter’s favorite football squad as they take on the Carolina Panthers on Monday Night Football?
The New Orleans Saints haven’t exactly been at the top of their game lately. Their impressive double-digit win streak came to an end in primetime at the hands of a red-hot Dallas Cowboys team. The next week, they struggled against a Tampa Bay Buccaneers squad in the first half, before grinding out a 28-14 win.
But, with the Los Angeles Rams struggling just as much recently, the Saints have been gifted a couple games in the NFC standings. They currently lead the NFC as a whole at 11-2, but need to keep pace in order to clinch a first-round bye. To do that, they’re going to need to get their offensive mojo back in Week 16 against the Carolina Panthers.
The Panthers are coming into this one the losers of five straight. Cam Newton has been battling a shoulder injury, the defense has been pretty shoddy, and the Panthers have gone from hot on the heels of the Saints to a very distant second in the NFC South.
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And yet, like they say, anything can happen on any given Sunday (or Monday, in this case). The Saints haven’t been dominant over the past two weeks, and Monday Night Football would be a prime showcase for a huge Panthers upset. Basically out of the playoff race at 6-7, the Panthers would need a lot of help in order to get into the postseason, especially if they lose this game.
For the Saints, they need to use this game to get back to their dominant ways and establish themselves as the class of the NFC. One slip-up could allow the Rams to take hold of the conference, and would push the Saints back to the second seed. They need to get back to basics, back to what they do best, to have their best chance to win.
That means Drew Brees, Alvin Kamara and Michael Thomas. This trio has been on fire almost all of this season, and Michael Thomas has been especially impressive in his third year out of Ohio State. If the Saints get their way, the Panthers defense will have their heads spinning because of Sean Payton’s schemes. Don’t get too cute, especially with Taysom Hill, and you should be fine.
On the flip-side of the equation of New Orleans, the defense has to keep playing at the level it has been in the second half of the season. Since the start of November, the Saints have only given up an average of 17 points per game. The Panthers have to find ways to score, and here’s how they can do it.
Carolina’s offense hasn’t been great recently. They seemingly refused to use running back Christian McCaffrey in Week 14 against a Browns defense that, statistically, isn’t great against the run. They need to set their game plan straight and actually use their best offensive weapon.
Ron Rivera’s only got a few games left to likely save his job. If he wants to be the coach in Carolina next year, he will probably need at least a decent showing, if not a win, against the Saints in Week 15. Under the lights, on Monday night, at home, Rivera needs to pull the Panthers out of their free fall.
Game Info
Date: Monday, Dec. 17, 2018
Time: 8:15 p.m. ET
Location: Charlotte, NC
Stadium: Bank of America Stadium
TV Info: ESPN
Live Stream: WatchESPN
Betting Info (via OddsShark)
Point Spread: New Orleans -6.5
Moneyline: Saints -270, Panthers +230
Over/Under: 50
Next. NFL Power Rankings, Week 16: Steelers revived, Cowboys stumble. dark
Prediction
Primetime games are often hard to predict, but this one just seems too perfect. The Saints know how much this game could mean to the post-season standings, and they’re bound to come out hot. The Panthers continue their losing streak here, and it’s very possible that head coach Ron Rivera is a game closer to getting fired at the end of the season.
Final Score: New Orleans 34, Carolina 20