No one said it would be easy, especially with a midseason quarterback change.
But New Orleans Saints rookie Tyler Shough received invaluable experience in his start against the Los Angeles Rams (a 34-10 loss), and he’ll look to apply it Sunday when the Saints (1-8) face the Panthers (5-4) at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C.
Shough will need support from everywhere: Chris Olave and the receiving corps will have a heavier load after Rashid Shaheed was traded to Seattle; the defense can’t have a repeat Rams performance and dare to dream of success; and the special team units are overdue for a momentum-swinging play.
Here are a few things to pay attention to:
1. DENY DOWDLE
In the last five games, Panthers running back Rico Dowdle has rushed for 652 yards and three touchdowns on 103 carries. For a Saints defense that has had an on-again, off-again relationship with tackling, Dowdle will either force it to rally to avoid a forgettable performance — or become the reason for one. The good news is, 389 of Dowdle’s yards came against Dallas and Miami, the fourth- and third-worst run defenses in the league. The bad news is the Saints allow 129.4 rushing yards per game, ninth most in the league. Hopefully, Saints linebacker Demario Davis will be making his stops at, or behind, the line of scrimmage.