Carolina Panthers: A Costly Victory Against New Orleans
The Carolina Panthers defeated the New Orleans Saints in a much needed victory to get to 4-6 on the year.
The Carolina Panthers played the exact same script again. They got a good lead, then they let the other team back into the game as the offense sputtered to a crawl. The difference between last night’s game and the one against Kansas City was a lack of turnovers, a real punter, more injuries, and Kelvin Benjamin held the ball on a key first down conversion.
The Panthers won 23-20 with New Orleans on their own forty yard line out of range of anything. That happened because Drew Brees and the Saints had to earn every point of the margin whereas the Panthers gave the Chiefs two possessions and ten points. In an unsatisfying way, the model worked. The cost was too high.
The Panthers lost several key personnel in this game that it will need in order to grab a hold of its season again. They lost center Ryan Kalil again and finally had to revert to the Chris Scott nuclear option.
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The defense was hit hardest though. The Panthers lost first rush specialist Mario Addison. Then they lost Luke Kuechly on what is now been determined as a concussion. It was an emotional moment because the game was in doubt and A.J. Klein was unavailable. Second year man David Mayo got taken advantage of on the last Saints touchdown.
Cornerback Leonard Johnson made a key tackle that stopped the Saints on third down but then had leave the field as well. The Panthers had been pleased with the play of the nickelback since his return from injury.
Getting those guys back is important and it is perhaps the only nice things about these Thursday night games. The Panthers have ten days to recover before their next tilt.
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Other welcome additions included Michael Palardy because the Panthers could actually punt this week instead of Graham Gano kicking balls with no hang time against the Chiefs. Benjamin made a key first down to essentially ice the game. Kurt Coleman had an interception. Kony Ealy seems more comfortable as a pass rush guy than a full time defensive end.
The Panthers get Oakland next and maybe Cam Newton to learn to flop to get roughing calls like the one Brees got against Charles Johnson.