The New Orleans Saints are 0-2 on the season and are heading into a crucial game against the Carolina Panthers without starting quarterback Drew Brees. Unfortunately for New Orleans, Brees was ruled out of Sunday's game with the a shoulder injury he sustained in Week 2, and the team will roll with Luke McCown as the starting quarterback.
Saints vs. Panthers 2015 live stream: Start time, TV schedule and how to watch online
The Saints and Panthers will face off in a critical NFC South game with a lot of question marks on the offensive side of the ball.
McCown has attempted just one pass in regular season play since 2011. This is the first time Brees has missed a game with an injury since joining the Saints, so it’s definitely going to be a drastic difference out there on Sunday. When you add in the fact that the Saints are playing in an NFC South game against a Panthers team that is 2-0 on the season, this could be huge.
New Orleans was dominated in Week 1 by the Arizona Cardinals, and they also fell to the rival Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 2. The division wasn't great last season, with Carolina winning it with a losing record, but thus far the Saints are alone at the bottom and desperation has to be setting in. Since 1990, only three teams have made the playoffs after staring 0-3 on the season.
Few expected Carolina to be sitting at 2-0 on the season, especially after losing starting receiver Kelvin Benjamin for the season due to an ACL injury and linebacker Luke Kuechly for Week 2 due to a concussion. A.J. Klein has been solid in Kuechly's absence, and Ron Rivera's defense has been playing up to the level he was known for before taking over the helm in Carolina.
That will be bad news for McCown, who is a huge question mark at this point. Not only is he an unknown commodity at this stage, the Saints seem to have a lack of playmakers overall on offense. Brandin Cooks leads the team with nine receptions for 111 yards, while Willie Snead and Mark Ingram are in second with 107 and 103 yards, respectively. Ingram leads the team's struggling running game with 77 yards on the ground and a touchdown.
This is a far cry from a Saints team that could rely on Marques Colston and Jimmy Graham to break defenses multiple times per game.
The saving grace here is the fact that the Panthers aren't exactly bursting at the seems with playmakers on offense, either. Ted Ginn is the team's leading receiver with 95 yards and a touchdown, with tight end Greg Olsen just behind him with 81 yards. Then it's Corey Brown, Jerricho Cotchery and Devin Funchess, none of whom are striking fear in the hearts of defensive backs any time soon.
On the ground, Carolina has Jonathan Stewart, who is averaging just 3.4 yards per carry with no touchdowns through two games. The starting quarterback, Cam Newton, is right behind Stewart with 111 rushing yards of his own. Newton hasn't played great either, completing just 52.9 percent of his passes with three touchdowns and a pair of interceptions.
This one could be ugly on that side of the ball.
How to Watch:
When: 1 p.m. ET
Where: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, N.C.
TV: FOX
Commentators: Chris Myers, Ronde Barber, Jennifer Hale
Online: NFL Game Pass
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