Panthers vs Saints: Week 12 Preview in the Bayou

Can Kyle Allen bounce back?

Kyle Allen’s performance this season started so well. He won four straight games and threw seven touchdowns with zero interceptions. No one would have predicted since then that the team has lost three out of their last four and that Allen would have thrown three touchdowns and eight interceptions in the past four games.

Last week was a horrible start for the young gun as he threw three interceptions and no touchdowns. Allen has experience against New Orleans because he played against them at the end of last season. At that point, New Orleans had already clinched a playoff spot, and the reserves were playing on defense. The key for Allen this game will be not to kill drives. He cannot throw interceptions when the team is driving and when they have a chance for a score. Mistakes must be limited in this game.

Panthers O-Line must protect!

Last week was nightmarish for Carolina’s pass protection. All of the offensive linemen seemed to struggle last week. Greg Little made his return from a concussion, and he looked extremely rusty. Tackle, Taylor Moton, was so bad that he was subbed out and replaced by Daryl Williams, which was not an improvement.

Against the Falcons, the Panthers gave up five sacks and ten hits on their quarterback. This matchup won’t be much easier for the offensive line. This line will be put to the test once again this weekend as they will go against a defensive line that gave Tampa all they could handle. Tampa’s quarterback Jameis Winston was sacked twice, and he was hurried all game long, forcing four interceptions. The offensive line has to step up here and protect their guy.

Panthers defense needs to step up!

The Panthers have one of the worst run defenses in the league. Defensively as a whole, they rank 17th in the nation. Although the Panthers do well with the pass rush and they are okay with pass defense, they are far from the best.

Stopping the run will be crucial in this game for one huge reason, Alvin Kamara. Although the Saints have not had the best year in terms of offense, they have the potential to be lethal. The run game has not been great, but Kamara is the type of running back that can give the Panthers some headaches. He is slippery, fast, and quick enough to gash the Panthers before they can say, “Keep Pounding.” Carolina has to contain him if they want to have a shot in this one.

Prediction Time:

I don’t expect the Panthers to win this one. It is tough to be confident going into this game after the play the team has had as a whole over the last four weeks. I think overall, the defensive struggles will be too much for the Panthers to overcome. The Saints offense should be able to get some things going early. The Panthers will drop to below .500 with this game, and the Saints will continue to cement their spot in the playoffs.

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