In rematch, Panthers aim to increase pressure Drew Brees
CHARLOTTE - Carolina Panthers coach Ron Rivera can thank St. Louis Rams sack master Robert Quinn and his line mates for providing a blueprint on how to stop the New Orleans Saints and quarterback Drew Brees in Sunday's NFC South first-place showdown.
Quinn and his front-four friends brought relentless heat from the start of the Rams' 27-16 whipping of New Orleans in Week 15.
Quinn, the NFC sack leader with 15, notched two against New Orleans. His hit against Brees on the Saints' first snap forced an interception that led coach Sean Payton to bench left tackle Charles Brown and shift right tackle Zach Strief in a bid to protect his quarterback's blind side.
'Some of the things the Rams did were really good,' Rivera said. 'We'll have to take a real good look and see which of those things match what we do and try to incorporate those things.'
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The Panthers (10-4) managed two sacks in a 31-13 loss to the Saints on Dec. 8 when Brees shredded Carolina's secondary for 313 yards and four touchdowns. Tight end Jimmy Graham and receiver Marques Colston each had two touchdown catches.
Rivera considers Sunday's clash against the Saints (10-4) a virtual playoff game.
The Saints will clinch the division title and a first-round bye with a victory against the Panthers. If Carolina wins Sunday and in Week 17 at the Atlanta Falcons, it will claim the division and a home playoff game.
'This one is about as big as it gets,' Rivera said.
Brees and the high-octane Saints are strong at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, where they are 7-0 and averaging 32.9 points a game.
On the road the Saints are 3-4, averaging 18.4 points.
'The sky has not fallen,' Saints linebacker Curtis Lofton said. 'We've just got to play better on the road.'
Panthers defensive coordinator Sean McDermott blamed himself for not creating ways to put more pressure on Brees, who completed 30 of 42 passes and had six completions of 20 or more yards in the Dec. 8 game.
The league's No. 2 scoring defense is at its best when the Panthers generate pass-rush pressure just with their front four.
'Statistically, you know Brees is pretty darned good against the blitz,' McDermott said. 'I'm hoping we can get off the rock and play some good defense up front - that's the spearhead of our defense.'
If their front four can follow in Quinn's footsteps and third-year quarterback Cam Newton can continue his season of maturing and winning, anything is possible.
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'We've got to beat the Saints,' cornerback Drayton Florence said. 'If we get in, we have as good a shot of winning (the Super Bowl) as anybody.'
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