Opponent angle: Panthers vulnerable
 

Posted by David Gladow
October 05, 2007


Make no mistake, Saints fans, the Carolina Panthers are a formidable opponent and perfectly capable of knocking the Saints off Sunday when the two teams meet at 12 CT at the SuperDome. The Panthers match up well with New Orleans in just about every area (elite wide receiver Steve Smith figures to be a matchup nightmare all game long).
So what gives with the headline?

Two words: David Carr.

The health of Panthers starting quarterback Jake Delhomme is once again in question, and if he doesn't play, the Saints' chances for their first win of the season go up tremendously. Don't believe it? Watch a couple of minutes of Carolina's Week 4 loss to Tampa Bay and you'll understand. Carr, the former flameout in Houston, could not move the offense in an ineffective 20-7 loss, and if he's under center again it could be a long day for the boys in blue.

Appropriately, the Panthers players are rallying themselves in preparation for life without Delhomme. Most seem to think some good is being done.

"So many times you get in a rut where you (meet) with your position coaches and then you go to practice," Carr said. "You get in (the team meeting) and you hear from guys' hearts about what they really feel about what's going on. I won't say it makes you play better, but it definitely makes you more accountable to your guys and you want to step it up for them."

If Carr can't step it up, the Saints may for the first time all season resemble the squad that won the NFC South in 2006.

Opponent angle: Panthers vulnerable - David Gladow - New Orleans Sports

Re: Opponent angle: Panthers vulnerable
 

Well Carr doesn't have to move the offense. All he really has to do is hand the ball off to a RB and have there line block out our weak D front.