What We Saw: Week 1

Carolina Panthers @ New Orleans Saints

Final Score: Saints 47 – Panthers 10

Writer: Jason Wolf (@J_Wolf_Picks on Twitter)

In what was the ugliest game of the week, the Saints absolutely demolished the Panthers on their way to a 37-point victory. New Orleans went into the half up 30-3 with three TDs from the arm of Derek Carr, leading the Saints to score on all six of their first-half drives. The Panthers meanwhile, struggled on both sides of the ball, only accruing 70 yards of total offense as well as giving up 30 points. Things didn’t get much better for the Panthers in the second half as they only mustered one pity touchdown and finished 1-10 on third downs. Carolina was dominated on both sides of the ball and the only positive thing that you could take away from this one is that QB Bryce Young flashed the potential to escape pressure and find the open receiver when the play breaks down. However, finding the open man and completing the pass are two different things.

Three Up

• Alvin Kamara –  The motion-heavy offense run by new OC Klint Kubiak will set Kamara up to thrive. He totaled 110 yards and a TD on 20 touches (5.5 yards/touch) for a highly efficient day. Kamara routinely saw open space out of the backfield and he created plenty of YAC as well, looking spry and surprisingly powerful behind this improved offensive line. If this is a sign of things to come and just not a symptom of playing the Panthers, Kamara looks to be in for a big season.
• Derek Carr – Carr had a highly impressive day, throwing for three touchdowns in the first half alone. Carr finished 19/23 on the day with a couple of his incompletions batted away on excellent plays by Carolina DBs. Carr was essentially perfect, hitting his receivers in stride and anticipating exactly where his receivers + the defenders would be. The offensive line seems much improved from last season and that gave Carr ample time to look for plays down the field and at all levels of the field.
• Rashid Shaheed – Caught a perfectly placed long bomb on the Saints’ first drive of the game. Carr hit him in stride as he got behind the Panthers’ defense with ease. The Saints clearly see Shaheed as a valuable weapon and deployed him as such. He had his number called on sweeps, deep shots, and screens. New Orleans tried to get him the ball in space in numerous ways, even when they were up a couple of scores. His usage in this game is highly encouraging for his odds of being more than just a gadget player.

Three Down

• Diontae Johnson – I was a big Diontae Johnson proponent this offseason, however, Bryce Young had trouble hitting Johnson with regularity even though Diontae did his thing by getting open and finding soft spots in the defense. Diontae was overthrown by Young numerous times, and if he doesn’t improve his accuracy, Johnson could be in for a down year.
• Bryce Young – The story of Bryce’s game was reacting poorly to defensive pressure. Coming into the season, the Panthers’ O-line was expected to be much improved from last year’s disaster, and they did look somewhat better but still allowed Saints’ rushers to get to Young with ease. Whether it was taking sacks, displaying subpar footwork, or making inaccurate passes due to pressure, Young was consistently thrown off his game from the pressure he faced.
• Chuba Hubbard – It was tough sledding for Chuba Hubbard as anytime he started to get a little bit of a rhythm, Carolina started facing 2nd / 3rd & long situations or were already down numerous scores. If the Panthers can’t keep games competitive, then Hubbard won’t be able to get the necessary touches he would need to produce solid numbers.

Carolina Panthers

Quarterback

Bryce Young: 13/30, 161 Yards, 2 INT | 4 Carries, 12 Yards, TD

Much was made about the Panthers’ improved offensive line and what that would mean for sophomore QB Bryce Young. However, the improvement from the O-line was minimal, and Young was still scatterbrained and inaccurate when under fire. More than a handful of times, Young escaped a collapsing pocket, rolled out, and give his receivers time to create space, only to find the open man to overthrow him. Young overthrew more than 100+ yards worth of unrealized completed yardage, and that’s a generous underestimation. He was largely inaccurate, panicked under pressure as evidenced by poor footwork, and couldn’t connect with receivers when throwing on the run.

Notes

• Bryce did flash his athleticism numerous times when breaking the pocket and dodging tackles but when it came time to deliver the throw, his accuracy was sorely lacking. Credit to him for keeping his eyes upfield but he never quite stood tall in the pocket and delivered a strike. This tendency to fear the big hit was further highlighted by Derek Carr’s willingness to stand tough in the pocket and take a hit in the name of delivering an accurate ball.
• Last year he had the excuse of a pitiful offensive line never giving him the chance to make plays but there were several times when Young had a clean pocket but still couldn’t deliver an accurate throw. Young completed less than half of his passes, and most were due to his issues with accuracy.
• There were moments when he flashed nice timing + anticipation when targeting Adam Thielen on intermediate routes, so we know his mental tools give him the potential to dissect defenses.
• Looked okay when running play-action but the Panthers didn’t call enough of them to take full advantage of that strength in his game.

Missed Opportunities

• Too many to count. Diontae Johnson worked his way open numerous times but Bryce was inaccurate on the day and couldn’t sync up with him.
• Both of his interceptions were the result of Bryce simply overthrowing his open receiver. Both INTs were highly avoidable and completely errant throws.

Running Back

Chuba Hubbard: 6 Carries, 14 Yards

Hubbard actually looked good when he was given the chance to get into a rhythm. Unfortunately for him, it only took a few minutes of game time for the Panthers to completely abandon the run, thus rendering his skillset useless. He looked especially good on the Panthers’ second drive of the game, picking up a first down (and the majority of his yardage) on two consecutive carries.

Notes

• Flashed surprising quickness when beating defenders around the edge (something he’s not known for) while picking up a first down in the process.

Missed Opportunities

• The Panthers fell behind by a lot early, and if that continues to happen, Hubbard will rarely get the chance to shine. In games where the game script is more neutral, he will help stabilize and bring balance to Carolina’s offense.

Miles Sanders: 5 Carries, 22 Yards | 2 Targets

Everyone seems to have forgotten the presence of Miles Sanders in this backfield but he saw more touches/targets than Chuba Hubbard. Sanders was the preferred back in obvious passing downs as he saw two targets (but no receptions) compared to none for the starter Hubbard.

Notes

• Sanders looked surprisingly spry with the ball in his hands. He had a nice run on an option pitch where he displayed his burst but it was unfortunately called back due to an unnecessary offensive holding.

Wide Receiver/Tight End

Diontae Johnson:  6 Targets, 2 Receptions, 19 Yards

QB Bryce Young just could not find Diontae Johnson on the day, even though he continued his work as one of the best separators at the WR position. Numerous times Bryce extended a broken play to find an open Diontae, only to overthrow him. Johnson could have had a very productive day if not for Young’s issues with accuracy on the day.

Notes

• Not known for his physical play, Diontae did everything in his power to get open, even outmuscling some DBs to create little windows of space which Bryce Young could not capitalize on.
• Better days should be ahead as Diontae was impressive in getting himself open regularly throughout the game.

Missed Opportunities

• All of his targets that resulted in incompletions were on Young as Diontae was regularly working himself open.
• In particular, when the pocket broke down and Bryce scrambled, Johnson was open for would-be significant gains down the field but they just couldn’t connect on a single one of those opportunities.

Adam Thielen:  4 Targets, 3 Receptions, 49 Yards

Thielen is still an excellent route runner as he put his crisp routes on display, finding himself in the soft spots in the defense. Thielen still has the best chemistry with Bryce Young as Young was able to find Thielen for some nice gains, accounting for almost 1/3 of Young’s total passing yardage.

Notes

• Not the most athletic receiver on the team but his reliability in his route running and experience with Bryce Young offer the young QB a security blanket in the short-intermediate game.

Xavier Legette:  7 Targets, 4 Receptions, 35 Yards

Rookie WR Xavier Legette led the Panthers’ receiving core in targets, which is an encouraging sign for his future usage. Even though most of his targets came when the Saints were playing softer defense while sitting on a lead, there is something to be said for Bryce Young looking for his rookie WR when plays would break down.

Notes

• Caught a couple of balls in the Panthers’ 2-minute drill, implying he will be seeing the field a lot when they are down and need plays to be made.

Missed Opportunities

• Was also overthrown by Bryce Young a couple of times; a recurring theme on the day.

Jonathan Mingo:  1 Carry, 3 Yards | 5 Targets, 2 Receptions, 40 Yards | 1 Fumble (Lost)

Jonathan Mingo had the longest gain of the day for the Panthers when he found himself wide open for a 35-yard catch and run after Bryce scrambled out of the pocket. Despite Mingo fumbling the ball, they still targeted him displaying some level of trust (or desperation) in him to make some plays.

Notes

• Had his number called in a couple of designed plays such as a reverse and a WR screen.

Missed Opportunities

• Couldn’t come down with over half of his targets; partly due to Young’s inaccuracy as well as Young just needing to get rid of the ball due to defensive pressure.

New Orleans Saints

Quarterback

Derek Carr:  19/23, 200 Yards, 3 TD | 2 Carries, 13 Yards

Derek Carr put on a passing clinic, especially in the first half where he threw for three TD passes against only four incomplete passes. Carr was incredibly accurate on his deep ball, connecting with Rashid Shaheed for a 59-yard TD on the Saints’ first drive. The ball was perfect as it fell right into the hands of Shaheed without the need for him to break his stride at all. Carr threw another long ball dime to Shaheed for a would-be TD but it was broken up at the last second on an excellent play by the Carolina defense. Carr made numerous impressive throws at multiple levels, in particular a 17-yard gain to Foster Moreau between the levels of the defense, displaying excellent timing + anticipation, placing the ball exactly where it needed to be.

Notes

• The new motion-heavy offense installed by Klint Kubiak was a 10/10 in its debut. Receivers were often open and Carr was hitting them in stride with consistency.
• Carr was impressive when facing pressure, showing no fear in stepping up in the pocket and delivering dimes, even if it meant he would get lit up, which he did a couple of times. Contrast that with Bryce Young who got skittish every time pressure was coming, Carr was putting on a masterclass performance.
• Whether the astounding offensive efficiency was purely due to scheme and Carr’s accuracy or the deficiencies of the Panthers’ defense remains to be seen.
• Carr also showed some nice ability to make accurate throws on the run which he has struggled with in the past.

Missed Opportunities

• Truly not many to speak of. Carr could have racked up more gaudy numbers if the Panthers put up any resemblance of a fight but they were sitting on a multiple score lead the entire game.

Running Back

Alvin Kamara:  15 Carries, 83 Yards, TD | 5 Targets, 5 Receptions, 27 Yards

Coming into this season, there was a lot of talk of Alvin Kamara’s drop in efficiency last year and whether or not he was hitting that point where RBs start to sharply decline (the RB cliff). This game might have put those thoughts to bed (temporarily at least). Kamara was gaining chunk yardage nearly every single time he touched the ball. The offensive line was opening up holes for him to go a couple of yards untouched, and Kamara took advantage by adding significant yards after contact as well. Kamara displayed his trademark mix of balance and elusiveness in making defenders miss and capitalizing on the holes his O-line afforded him. The Saints spread Kamara out, using him out wide, as an I-back as well as on tosses/pitches, finding success in all avenues.

Notes

• Not known for his power, Kamara flashed unexpected power on numerous runs, dragging would-be tacklers for extra yards and lowering his shoulder with a surprising level of success.
• The Saints’ offensive line was seen as a weakness coming into the year but they absolutely dominated the line of scrimmage; an encouraging sign for Kamara’s reset of season outlook.
• Still has plenty of burst, as evidenced by his outside runs, consistently beating defenders to the edge.
• Kamara was awarded for his hard work when he was given multiple goal-line carries in the second half, showing the Saints won’t take him out all the time in goal-to-go situations.

Jamaal Williams  11 Carries, 38 Yards, TD | 1 Target, 1 Reception, 13 Yards

Jamaal Williams seemed like more of a true backup to Kamara than he ever has in this game. He really only came in after the game was getting out of hand with the Saints up big. Most of his touches came with the game way out of hand. He wasn’t as effective as Kamara on the ground but that is probably due to the more predictable nature of the offense when they are sitting on a massive lead. Williams looked good on his TD run, though not much was required of him as all he had to do was follow his blocking through the massive hole straight into the endzone.

Notes

• Had some drives all to himself in the 3Q/4Q when New Orleans decided Kamara’s day was done with the game out of reach.
• Might be playing behind Taysom Hill in the pecking order for carries as Hill was more involved in the early parts of the game.

Wide Receiver/Tight End

Chris Olave:  2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 11 Yards

Chris Olave, usually the Saints’ #1 receiving option was held to only two catches (on two receptions) in this one. This had nothing to do with the Panthers’ defense covering him and everything to do with the Saints obliterating the Panthers from the jump. There was no need for Olave in this one as the Saints raced out to an early lead that just kept getting bigger and bigger. Rashid Shaheed had more targets than Olave but that’s because he kept successfully taking the top off the defense. Olave worked more in the short to intermediate game, hauling in both of his targets cleanly.

Notes

• Timing + chemistry with QB Derek Carr is on point as Olave is an excellent route runner and  Carr hits him at the top of his routes, indicating bigger performances to come.
• Olave saw a designed handoff out of the backfield but was immediately blown up by Carolina’s Jaycee Horn. Olave’s final stats left much to be desired but the presence of a gadget play for him is encouraging as they will put the ball in his hands on play other than just slants and quick routes.

Rashid Shaheed:  5 Targets, 3 Receptions, 73 Yards, TD

Rashid Shaheed lived up to his reputation as a deep ball specialist, getting behind the Panthers’ defense and coming down with a 59-yard TD on the Saints’ first drive. The various ways in which the Saints deploy him show their vision for him being not only a deep threat but someone they need to give the ball to in space any way they can.

Notes

• Carr was incredibly accurate in throwing the ball down the field, resulting in success for Shaheed today and indicating future success as well.
• Had his number called on an end-around that went for a nice gain but got called back due to a holding penalty.

Missed Opportunities

• Shaheed almost came down with another long ball TD but the Panthers’ DB made an excellent play to bat the ball out of his reach at the very last second.

Taysom Hill:  5 Carries, 35 Yards | 2 Targets, 1 Reception, 1 Yard

The NFL Swiss army knife was used in numerous ways throughout the game, all with varying degrees of solid success. He carried the ball effectively, had trick plays drawn up for him, and almost caught a beautiful RZ target for a would-be-difficult TD.

Notes

• He’s a QB, a TE, and an RB, What can’t he do? Just in the first quarter, he was used effectively as a power back and picked up short first downs as well as powering through defenders for tough extra yards.
• His usage early was varied and creative, showing that new OC Klint Kubiak knows how to utilize his unique skills and isn’t shy about doing so.
• Was brought in several times to convert short-yardage situations.
• Some impressive runs, most notably on a pitch play where he broke initial contact and powered through two more defenders en route to a 10+ yard gain.
• Didn’t see him get brought down on initial contact once.

Foster Moreau:  4 Targets, 4 Receptions, 43 Yards, TD

Foster Moreau was much more involved in the offense than anyone would have guessed coming into this game. He was highly efficient, coming down with all four of his targets for 43 yards and a TD.

Notes

• Forgot about by the Panthers’ defense on his TD catch as they were preoccupied with everyone else who was burning them throughout the game.
• Looked impressive with the ball in his hands for a guy of his stature.

Juwan Johnson:  3 Targets, 2 Receptions, 26 Yards, TD

Didn’t get many looks but his TD catch was a thing of beauty as he caught the ball next to the sideline and managed to come down with both feet in bounds after a leaping catch.