The New Orleans Saints travel to Charlotte to take on the Panthers in the Thursday night game of the week. The winner will take over sole possession of first place in the NFC South. Given the relatively few number of wins compiled in the division to this point, there will almost certainly only be one representative from the NFC South. Halfway through the season is as good a point as any for some team to take charge and put itself in position for the postseason tournament. With that in mind, let’s take a look at positional matchups that’ll be key to the Saints vs Panthers showdown.

New Orleans Receivers vs Carolina Panthers Secondary

The Saints showed on Sunday night exactly why they are so dangerous. On any given night they can ring up points by the bushel load, and one of their many avenues they use to drive the ball into the endzone is the glutton of talent they have at receiver. Against Green Bay five different receiver had four or more receptions (for the purposes of this discussion, Jimmy Graham is included in the receiver designation—franchise tag be damned). Both Brandin Cooks and Kenny Stills will present problems with their athleticism. They possess dazzling speed and superior footwork, and they’ve got a decent guy to get the ball to them on time.

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The secondary is the only position group that has more talent than last year. With Josh Norman back, the secondary has improved. Against the Seahawks they pursued the ball and cut down on missed tackles, limiting the yards after catch. The problem is that this New Orleans WR group is much more akin to the Cincinnati Bengals team that helped hang 37 points on the Panthers. Moreover, the team will hand its hands full with suddenly resurgent Jimmy Graham, the best tight end they’ve faced all year. And with a completely new secondary, no one would have any real experience with him or Brees.

Mark Ingram vs the Panthers Defensive Line

Running back Ingram has had to deal with the “bust” whispers since he was taken following his Heisman trophy-winning campaign out of Alabama. Despite his relative small career aggregate yardage output, Ingram has been the effective runner seen on Sunday his entire career. A few injuries and a crowded backfield have slowed Ingram’s career a bit, but his talent is legitimate and real. Drew Brees will be a handful in his own right, if Carolina can’t slow down at least one of the weapons of this offense then it’ll be doomed.

The defensive line played relatively well against Marshawn Lynch and company. While the 119 yards submitted seems like a big number, keep in mind that the Seahawks are ranked first in rush yards per game (heading into the game). Moreover, they were disciplined against the ever-elusive Russell Wilson, who scrambled his way to 37 yards. It was a welcomed sight for Panthers fans to see a quality performance from this group. Star Lotulelei had his best game of the season, applying play-wrecking pressure up the middle. They’ll need another strong performance against a renewed Saints running game.

Drew Brees vs Cam Newton

The engine for some of the most prolific offenses in NFL history is having an average season by his standards. His most recent game, however, showed that Brees is still one of the best

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quarterbacks in the league; he cut the Green bay Packers up to the tune of a 27/32 day with three touchdowns and over 300 yards. He’s got the weapons, and he enjoys showing off the arsenal.

Cam has seemingly regressed since starting out the season so sharply. His accuracy has declined as his health has improved. Perhaps it isn’t surprising that now that Cam can (and often does) run, the accumulation of hits would affect the rifle-armed QB. He needs a big game to give the Panthers a chance in this game. The defense looked better last week, but (unless the quick turnaround hurts their offense) the Saints aren’t being held to 13 points; the Panthers will need to put the ball into the endzone to have a chance. This position battle is the most important for Carolina, an offensive assault can’t happen without Cam Newton directing it. He must lead his team if there is any hope to stay atop the division. No small task, but he’s no small player.