Can you imagine a bearded Brees rambling things after painful losses like “For all men tragically great are made so through a certain morbidness… all mortal greatness is but disease”? Now they may be without their star quarterback as they travel to Charlotte to take on the 2-0 Panthers.
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ESPN did note their strong defensive record, noting that “over their six-game winning streak, the Panthers have allowed 11.5 points per game, 279.7 yards per game and forced 13 turnovers”.
When the Saints returned to practice Wednesday to begin prepping for what has now become a crucial game with the Panthers, all eyes were on Brees and his injured throwing shoulder.
McCown hasn’t had his chance to shine in New Orleans because Drew Brees has been so durable, never missing a start with the Saints because of injury since joining the team in 2006. That’s certainly welcome news for a passing attack that might be without Brees as the conductor.
Carolina isn’t without injury woes. Kuechly missed practice Wednesday and Thursday while waiting to be cleared by an independent physician from a concussion he suffered in Week 1.
That being said, Western Kentucky has a better offense than the one they’ll face at Wake this week, and FIU’s defense may well be every bit as good as that of the Demon Deacons. That moment happened well before the game ended.
The big question is whether or not the Panthers can take advantage of the Saints weak defense.
New Orleans could save $20 million by cutting Brees before the start of next season; however, Payton’s contract runs through the 2017 season, so it might be unlikely that he would want to start over for a season or two. The Panthers have given up just 26 points so far, second only to the Jets, and while that may have come against below-average offenses the Saints aren’t exactly clicking on that side of the ball right now. However, their frequent problem is turning long drives into touchdowns rather than settling for field goals.
With their issues at wide receiver, the Panthers can expect to see a constant flood of stacked boxes aimed at pinching rushing lanes. Against the Houston Texans Cam Newton led the way as a two-attack quarterback. For the most part we prepare for him. Keeping the momentum up in both of these areas will help push this team one more step towards a victory on Sunday.
The Buccaneers have a tendency to let some losses spiral out of control, and they also have a surprising knack for surprising doubters when least expected.
“But that’s not the same because I’m not throwing with that one”. “And nearly none of those decisions look bad in retrospect”.
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Five years later, McCown got a shot in New Orleans, and he’s been Brees’ backup ever since. So go figure who came out best on those deals.
