The New Orleans Saints dominated their first two matchups against the Carolina Panthers this season, but Saints players said that the games of those games have little bearing on the matchup Sunday.
When the NFC South rivals meet in the wild-card round at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome at 3:40 p.m. Sunday, the game will require a different level of intensity. This time, it's win or go home
Neither team enters Sunday on a hot streak as both squads lose their season finale. Perhaps a win could promote a team to a long playoff run, but only time will tell.
Here are three matchups that could determine the outcome:
Saints rushing offense vs. Panthers rushing defense
Winning this matchup was the first two games. In Week 3, a 34-13 victory, the Saints had 149 rushing yards on a 5.5-yard average per carry. In the Week 13 rematch, a 31-21 win, the Saints gained 148 yards on a 5.3-yard average per carry.
Mark Ingram and Alvin Kamara also totaled four touchdowns among the first two games, so the Panthers will surely focus heavily on slowing the Saints' dynamic duo. New Orleans, meanwhile, is hoping to see the ground game bounce back this weekend after gaining 92 yards on a 3.5-yard average in the week 17 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. One factor for remember is the Saints had a dominant rushing attack against The Panthers are left out He's listed as questionable Sunday due to a thigh injury, but if he's good to go, the Saints run game could be even better.
Saints linebackers vs. Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey
The Saints did well in this matchup in one game, but poorly in the other McCaffrey, the eighth total pick in the draft, caught nine passes for 101 yards in Week 3. New Orleans was mostly better at holding him as he caught five passes for 33 yards in Week 13, but one of those receptions was wide-open 21-yard touchdown
For the Saints, defending the quick and agile rookie will be a big challenge Sunday without linebacker A.J. Klein and safety Kenny Vaccaro as both are on the injured side with groin injuries. Much of the coverage will fall to linebacker Manti Te'o in this game.
McCaffrey has not measured up to Kamara's incredible rookie campaign, but with 435 rushing yards, 651 receiving yards and seven total touchdowns, McCaffrey is definitely a threat.
Saints safety Vonn Bell vs. Panthers tight end Greg Olsen
Although he's one of the top tight ends in the NFL, Olsen has not played his standard this season. He missed nine games due to a foot injury, and he has not seen the same since returning.
Olsen, who missed the two previous games against the Saints, had just 17 catches for 191 yards and a touchdown in seven games this season. The majority of those figures came in Week 15 when he was torched by the Green Bay Packers with nine catches for 116 yards and a touchdown.
The 32-year-old followed that monster performance with three catches for 27 yards in Week 16 and one catch for 10 yards in Week 10. The Saints will obviously try those numbers
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