Canal Street Chronicles
Week 1 is here, are these two teams ready?
Week 1 of the NFL regular season is officially here and on Sunday, the New Orleans Saints will open their season at home against the Carolina Panthers.
It’s a highly anticipated matchup for a number of reasons. Not only is it the regular season opener, but it’s also the debut of the new offense. An offense that was only operating at a basic level during the preseason. Now with a full offseason, the team should be locked and loaded to carry out the Klint Kubiak playbook to its full extent and it’s a playbook that allows many players on the offense to reach another level in their game.
The Saints defense is also one that is generating a ton of noise heading into the season. During the preseason, the first team defense put up some impressive numbers. Forcing punts for a majority of their opponents drive, Players like Bryan Breese and Chase Young really stood out, and UDFA Rico Payton did so well he took Johnathan Abrams job. That’s a unit that’ll have an interesting game against the Panthers, who not only have a new offense but a new head coach as well.
After the dismissal of Frank Reich, the Carolina Panthers hired Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Dave Canales. An offensive coordinator who is confident in his new team.
“For me, it’s about building an offense that we can be proud of,” Canales said at the scouting combine press conferences, “Something’s that is tough, smart, and takes care of the football”
While it’s unclear how much of their actual offense Carolina was running, the Panthers offense looked pretty good. This was especially the case in their preseason finale, that saw Bryce Young make his first and only appearance. Young and the Panthers’ offense marched 85-yards down the field for a touchdown. However, their defense still looks like a work in progress, and that’s something that the Panthers will hope to have fixed come Sunday. Because if not it’ll be a long day for them, and a great day for the New Orleans Saints.
