Junior Galette/Parys Haralson vs. David Foucault/Nate Chandler
Boy, the Panthers are really getting bit by the injury bug this season. As it stands, the Panthers have THREE starters on an already porous offensive line not playing tonight. Byron Bell, Amini Silatolu, and Trai Turner are all out, leaving two UDFA rookies and a late free agent pickup to fill in. I'm not as worried about Fernando Velasco starting at right guard as I am Andrew Norwell and David Foucault protecting Cam's blindside. While PFF graded Norwell in the positives, there were many times where Norwell didn't seem to know what he was doing. Foucault will be tasked with facing one of the Saints better pass rushers in his first career start. Foucault has the measurables to be a decent tackle in the NFL, but is it too soon? We will find out tonight, and hopefully the MMO won't feature a look at Derek Anderson and Joe Webb's futures with the Panthers.
Keenan Lewis vs. Kelvin Benjamin
Kelvin Benjamin better come ready to play tonight. With the Panthers hampered on the offensive line and blessed with a nearly full running back group, the Saints will likely try to take the run away. DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart should be a big part of the gameplan to try and take pressure off Cam, but when he does throw he will be looking for Benjamin. This is a physical mismatch, and last week Benjamin showed he can show up big time. However, Benjamin dropped an easy touchdown that would have changed the entire tide of the game. Teams have been gameplanning to take away Greg Olsen. While it may not be easy to do what Seattle did and double their safety coverage on Olsen with one on ones on the outside, look for New Orleans defense to force Benjamin into being the biggest target.
Mario Addison/Kony Ealy vs. Terron Armstead
Last year Greg Hardy absolutely feasted on Armstead, racking up four sacks against him. Armstead is a more mature player now and has an easier matchup against Ealy and Addison, but the fact remains that he can be exploited. Drew Brees hasn't been doing well under pressure, especially on the road. The Panthers pass rush has been largely inconsistent, especially at defensive end. Charles Johnson will matchup against Zach Strief and should see plenty of double teams, leaving Armstead against the Panthers pass rush specialists. Ealy racked up his first sack as a rookie last week, lets see if he can do more this week.
Luke Kuechly/Thomas Davis vs. Jimmy Graham
Drew Brees finally has his most talented pass catcher fully healthy (or pretty darn close). The Saints have an offense schemed to exploit matchups with Jimmy Graham, and he should be heavily involved in this gameplan. Luke Kuechly and Thomas Davis seem to be the only guys who consistently show up each week to play at a high level, and they can't do it alone. This week they may have to try to contain Graham almost single handedly with a struggling safety group and a nickel corner making his second appearance in James Dockery. Kuechly has struggled somewhat in coverage this year, but he will need to quickly correct himself over the middle to keep Graham at bay. Davis has the speed to run with Graham, but both need to be in good positions as they don't have nearly the ball skills Graham does. This could be a long day for the defense.