Friday, December 30, 2011

Can Panthers upset Saints?

If I'm New Orleans head coach Sean Payton, I don't do a lot of scoreboard watching Sunday. The Saints may ultimately be playing a meaningless game in terms of playoff seeding, but it's going to be very hard to tell with San Francisco and St. Louis playing at the same time.

The Saints need a win over Carolina (pretty likely) and a St. Louis upset of San Francisco (very unlikely) to get the No.2 playoff seed and a playoff bye. If I'm Payton, I don't even let anyone tell me the 49ers score until halftime. And I don't pull Drew Brees and company until the fourth quarter and maybe not at all, depending on what the 49ers are up to.

If the 49ers are up by 20 or more going into the fourth, though, I'd get Brees out of there no matter the score. He's too valuable to risk in that scenario, even if New England's Tom Brady does catch him for the single-season yardage record.

-- The Panthers have a chance Sunday if they run the ball well. Remember, they got a 69-yard DeAngelo Williams touchdown in the teams' first meeting (won 30-27 by New Orleans). The Superdome is a very difficult place to convert third downs consistently because of the noise level, but running the ball effectively is how coach John Fox often beat the Saints in Louisiana. The New Orleans defense, however, allowed only 35 yards rushing to Atlanta last week.

-- The Panthers' defense had quite a time trying to defend Jimmy Graham last time, as the tight end had eight catches for 129 yards. Graham does that against just about everyone, which is why the Saints decided Jeremy Shockey was expendable. You can bet Shockey will be involved in some sort of extra-curricular activity Sunday playing his former team.

-- The Panthers have a chance, but New Orleans has one of the best homefield advantages in the NFL and the hottest quarterback, too -- and I think Brees will play most of the game.
My prediction: New Orleans 34, Carolina 24.

29 comments:

Anonymous said...

We need to play well and get out of this game healthy.

Anonymous said...

I disagree Scott. I believe the Panthers will win this game regardless if the Saints play their starters or not. I see Gamble with a few INTs in this game. The running game will will be too much for the Saints in this one and Cam will go way over 4000 passing yards for the year and tack on a few more running TDs to make that record stand for some time. While I know Cam states that he is not bothered being picked in the top three for the Pro Bowl I see him going into this game with something to prove!!! Also I think Brady will get the record for most passing yards.

Anonymous said...

Panthers 34 Saints 21

Saints overrated

Cam's REAL dad said...

LOL, Silly Panthers fans...

Saints 42
Kitty Kats 13

Anonymous said...

Panthers roll the Saints.

Carolina - 42
New Orleans -21

Cam's REAL dad said...

Saints are okay. Their fans (the Taints) are mostly not very clever or funny, just annoying.

District Six said...

Saints gonna roll dem Pansy Panties up like WHOA...Whoe dey, who dey, who dey say gonna beat dem Sains. Sure aint not Pansy Panties

Anonymous said...

SAINTS are over-rated....
this team will bounced early....no running game....reles on Graham way too much....keep uiet saint fans...your team has peaked

Anonymous said...

u are a bum scott! upset! u call a team that has secured a playoff spot with nothing to play for, players will be resting at end of the 1st qtr, thats an upset! u are a joke, BUM

Mike P said...

Why do Aints fans say "Who dey"? Or "Who dat"? That must be the most rainbow thing I've ever heard! Def can't wait for #89 to take it to Harpers arse for a little revenge!

Anonymous said...

I see the Saints losing 31 - 29 after Kasay misses a 42 yard field goal in the last second.

On another note, I see the Niners beating the curlie-horned goats of St. Louis, but I do not see Spagnuolo getting upset when Harbaugh excitedly pats him on the back after the game.

Cam's Real Fans said...

Hey Cam's real dad:

Your Momma!

Classic New Orleans Resident said...

If we lose this game, we'll just blame the government and gain national sympathy.

Anonymous said...

Are you kidding about the scoreboard watching? SF will be so far ahead by the second quarter, Drew and company can sit unless he wants to throw for a nice round mile this season.

If they don't field their first team in the second half, we'll take them.

I hope we win Sunday, but I'm pulling for the Saints for the Super Bowl; Kasay deserves a ring after all he put up with here.

Chino said...

The Panthers have to do the obvious... "shut down Graham". It wasn't the run game, or long bombs to the WR's that won it for the Saints during the first meeting this year. It was Brees hitting his new favorite target, Jimmy Graham. Now that the Panthers know how to win together, "Double Trouble" are back, and the team wants to disrupt the Saints' playoff advantages.... the Panthers can win 21-17. (as long as Harper and Greer don't play dirty)

Anonymous said...

Smith been saying his prayers dreading Harper who he knows will crush him like a cigarette butt even paying his 30k late late hit fine.

TE Newton on the bubble too. Without the free union gift 900 yards first 2 game he'd be less than 3k. Union gifts of tds & rush yards plus pussy baby tackles have saved the scammer from serious injury.

Nobody wants him not even the Pro Bowl. Last dance with Mary Jane at BOA. lol

The premediated plan to cripple Newton involves the triple TMB safty & OLB stunt blitz crush high at the neck and low at the fibulas and the DE finish it in the gut.

The Saints TMB (triple master blaster) can be deadly so the D must be careful to only cripple or paralyze. Lucky ones end up in a wheel chair. Others like Newton would get a quick neck snap requiring 10-15 spinal fusion surgerys & career over. ... who dat? keel dat muthafuka... hehehe...

Saints by 40

Anonymous said...

28 year old Derek Anderson says he wants to return next yr to continue helping Scambo at QB? Yea rite Mr. Pro Bowler.

Newton suddenly wanted to be a team player but only after he passed Manning? pleasee. He couldnt carry Mannings jock strap.

ps. Newton could be paying Warner Brothers in Hollywood mills for infringement rights violation of their intellectual property Superman trademark. Hollywood dont be fckin' around when it comes to theft of their $$. This aint no laptop & it aint Gainesville.

Anonymous said...

Coach payton is no dummy.if 49ners winning big,he will rest starters.this is not about this game.its for the big palyoff run.
Panthers will win this game if thats the case.
Can't wait till next season.NFC South is gonna be very competitive.
among atlanta,new orleans and Carolina.sorry tampa.

Anonymous said...

Saints and Bengals play in the Ebonics bowl - who dat vs who dey. Everything will need to be subtitled and translated for the rest of America.

John said...

Anonymous 6:23AM,

Why don't you just admit that you're a racist? Really, you will feel much better once you get that off your chest!

You've used the following theme repeatedly under a number of different IDs for weeks:

"Without the free union gift 900 yards first 2 game he'd be less than 3k. Union gifts of tds & rush yards plus pussy baby tackles have saved the scammer from serious injury. "

We all know what your issue is and you are NOT a true Panthers fan at all. Better run along now, your babysitter is calling for you...

Anonymous said...

Carolina fans, you seem to think that the Saints offense is a make-up of Brees and Grahman. They have many weapons that can make the Panthers defense look as if they are lost in space. Just be ready for these words "I told you so". Saints 42 Panthers 24. As for the guy who is clearly rascist...everyone sees you as having a peanut for brains.

Anonymous said...

Scott, Does Tom do your hair?

Anonymous said...

I don't see a victory in this game by the Panthers as an upset. With the improvement in the defensive play especially improving, the Panthers are making positive strides toward the quality of team that they can be going forward.

Anonymous said...

2:39 PM You yell names you white freak when you are well known in our community center to sex up young boys. Our young brother Jawan and a friend of his Rodriquez says you forced on them in the shower at school. You lucky to be alive and theres plenty others. They gonna kill you.

The Enforcer said...

Read this and weep all you bagged headed cajun toothless hillbillies.

Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers will kick your classless butts all over that cess pool you call a city. Count on it.

Anonymous said...

Panthers - 101
Aints - 0

Anonymous said...

All I have to say is statistics don't lie. There's a reason why the Saints won the Division - they are really, really good. They have turned into a more balanced team with the offense leading the way. Panthers is going to be good, but they need to go through some growing pains before they can be an elite team like the Saints.

Anonymous said...

Can the Panthers upset the Saints? Unlikely. Saints are too much on a roll to be stopped dead on their tracks. And no, the Saints are not over-rated. If anything, they are under-rated.

Saints 31
Panthers 20

Anonymous said...

Jake(The Snake)Dehlomne says,

Whos the racist prick making fun of my Lousianna bayou Cajun blood? Die hick.
The ancient Cajun Curse is already upon that loser franchise up there & thats why they ended up with that felon Slopazz goof who lucked a useless 6-10 with nothing to show & all the union help in the world. What a worthlezz illiterate dropout waste.

That will teach you hillbilly bumpkins a lesson trading Fox and myself and look at his great Tebow headed to the playoffs at 9-7.

As a native Cajun Saint at heart hoping they rip the guts out of you loser mother pfucks & your peckerhead rook. Meanwhile we Texans go to playoffs & could end up playing my Saints. Triple sweet with Tebow's Broncos.

Suck it up CHUMPZ. SUCK on that Big Banana.

Wait'll next year? What a joke. Aint gonna happen ... Thank you Cajun Curse. It wont be lifted & is indefinite.

(They also screwed my good pal JKasay but he's in Big Easy heaven with Drew now so no prob)

LOSERZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ