Pressuring Drew Brees a big key for Panthers on Monday night, but not how you’d think
It’s no secret that the Panthers must get pressure on New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees if they want to have a chance at winning Monday Night’s prime-time game.
And usually, when people think of “pressure” from a defensive line, they think of gaudy stats, blitzes and sacks from edge-rushers, linebackers and sometimes even cornerbacks.
But against a quarterback like Brees, pressure up through the middle is actually even more important.
Instead of scrambling or throwing while running East to West, Brees almost always prefers to step up into the pocket to make his throws.
“That’s what Drew does really well,” said Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly on Friday.
But that’s not all.
“The ball comes out so fast, he’s able to read and diagnose and understand where the ball needs to be extremely quick,” Kuechly added.
Brees gets rid of the ball at the second-fastest rate in the NFL, behind Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, at 2.57 seconds per throw, according to NFL Next Gen stats.
So not only will pressuring up the middle of the pocket be key for Carolina’s defensive tackles, they have to do it fast, too.
“I think we got some good pressure (against Cleveland quarterback Baker Mayfield) last week,” said Kuechly. “We had a couple sacks against Tampa. It’s one of those things, you just gotta rush, you gotta rush, you gotta rush, because eventually it’s going to pop. And when the sacks start coming, they start coming quick.”
Carolina mixed up its interior starting in Tampa Bay to get better pressure, quicker, on the inside. Head coach Ron Rivera decided to bench backup defensive tackle (and former first-round pick) Vernon Butler in favor of moving Wes Horton to the inside. Horton had played most of the year as a defensive end, but began his career as a player who could rush from the interior as well as off the edge.
“Wes is a guy who has done it for a long time,” said Kuechly. “He can play inside, he can play outside. He’s a really smart player. And he is just solid. He’s solid wherever he lines up.
“But we’re just trying to find the right match, mix and match of guys right now. Regardless of who’s in, those guys work and they work in practice.”
The Panthers also have been without starting defensive tackle Kawann Short in practice all week as he battles a calf injury. Carolina has depended on Short over the years to be a catalytic factor in creating that vertical pressure.
But said Friday that he doesn’t have concerns about Short ahead of Monday’s game.
“Obviously he didn’t practice today, he went through the walk-through, stuff like that,” said Rivera. “But we had to list him (on the injury report).
“We’ll see how he is tomorrow, but like I said, I don’t have any concern.”
Pressuring Brees is only the beginning.
That must be complemented by the second and third tiers of the defense, too.
“You have to connect to the receivers, man,” said veteran linebacker Thomas Davis. “They figure out a way to get open, and he figures out a way to get the ball to them in any given situation, and we understand and we know the receivers that he likes.
“First and foremost, got to make sure you’re connected to (Michael) Thomas, and knowing where he is at all times. (Alvin) Kamara is the next guy that he’s getting the ball to. ...They have a ton of weapons that they utilize, so we just have to be ready to go.”
Carolina’s rush and coverage have not worked in complement consistently all year.
Monday night would be a good time for it to start.
“We just have to do a good job on our end and the back end as well,” said Kuechly, “covering guys and giving those (defensive linemen) an extra second to go after the quarterback.”
Jourdan Rodrigue: 704-358-5071; @jourdanrodrigue
This story was originally published December 14, 2018 at 3:56 PM.
