Carolina Panthers coach Ron Rivera doesn’t expect New Orleans Saints to change offense if QB Drew Brees is sidelined

Panthers coach Ron Rivera has been adamant for years that teams forced to play without a key player rarely change how they play.

In the case of the New Orleans Saints, Sunday’s opponent, he doesn’t expect their offense to change whether or not quarterback Drew Brees (shoulder) plays.

“I think the thing, more so than anything else, as an offensive football team, they do what they do,” Rivera said Monday. “You still see the same route combinations. You still see the receivers running the same routes. I think right now it’s working into a rhythm.”

The Saints are 0-2 and come to Carolina this weekend looking to avoid going 0-3 for the first time since 2012. And working against New Orleans is the uncertainty regarding Brees, its All-Pro quarterback who suffered a shoulder injury in Sunday’s loss to the Buccaneers.

Game film of the season’s first two games shows the Saints offense depends on quick decisions by Brees and playmakers at receiver. But it also shows how much New Orleans is missing players from previous teams, such as tight end Jimmy Graham and running back Darren Sproles.

With Brees banged up and new pieces on offense, will this Saints resemble the offense that’s been so dominant for the past nine seasons?

What’s wrong with Brees?

Brees injured the rotator cuff on his throwing shoulder during the second quarter of Sunday’s 26-19 loss to Tampa Bay. He didn’t miss a play that game.

ESPN reported Monday evening that an MRI showed Brees has a bruised rotator cuff but no signs of a tear.

If Brees does play against Carolina, the Panthers should expect quick, short throws like usual, but in greater abundance.

Brees is known for releasing the ball quickly to avoid the pass rush. But that didn’t matter much to the Panthers last season when they sacked him six times in two meetings for a loss of 44 yards.

If it’s not an underneath crossing route, Brees also likes screens and other passes that develop behind the line of scrimmage. Through two games, his 16 passes to players behind the line of scrimmage have been completed 13 times for 139 yards.

Brees also struggled with velocity after the injury . His first pass went into the ground, and though he seemed to have more zip on the ball after halftime, he lost velocity as the game wore on.

The shoulder injury could prohibit Brees from throwing too many passes downfield and might focus him on short and intermediate routes.

Life without Jimmy Graham

Through two games last season, the Saints had 18 catches for 200 yards and one touchdown from their top tight end.

This year they have six catches for 33 yards from their top two tight ends.

The Saints traded Graham, an All-Pro, during the offseason for center Max Unger and the first-round draft pick that they used to select Clemson linebacker Stephone Anthony. But New Orleans still hasn’t found a replacement for Graham at tight end.

Benjamin Watson has been the No. 1 tight end and he’s caught five catches for just 31 yards. Josh Hill, in his third season, had the other catch and 2 yards.

Where the Panthers – and specifically linebacker Thomas Davis – once had to focus on one of the best pass-catching tight ends in the league when they played the Saints, Carolina clearly doesn’t have that preoccupation this season . That could free up Davis to focus on other New Orleans playmakers.

That doesn’t mean Carolina is in the clear with Graham, though. The Panthers will face him in Seattle during Week 6.

“I think our guys enjoyed the challenge of going against Jimmy Graham,” Panthers defensive coordinator Sean McDermott said, “but right now we’re facing the New Orleans Saints, so our focus has to be on their personnel.”

Importance of the rushing game

The Saints could rely more on their running game this week.

In Week 1, the Saints rushed 20 times for just 54 yards. Against the Bucs they had 27 rushes for 104 yards.

Mark Ingram remains the top running back as the Saints await free-agent acquisition C.J. Spiller to fully recover from offseason knee surgery.

Spiller didn’t play against the Arizona Cardinals during Week 1 and only played in seven snaps Sunday, but he had four touches . Spiller rushed three times for 7 yards and caught a pass for 19 yards .

The Saints also have a change-of-pace back in Khiry Robinson, who has averaged 5.4 yards per carry this season.

That will be tested this week against Carolina, whose rushing defense allows 3.6 yards per carry, seventh best in the league.

The Brandin Cooks Factor

Brandin Cooks played just one game against the Panthers last season, catching three passes for 38 yards before a thumb injury ended his season.

Cooks ran a 4.33-second 40-yard dash at last year’s NFL scouting combine, making him one of the fastest players in the NFC South.

Brees likes to find Cooks on crossing routes underneath, where Cooks can work off pick plays and run in the open field to showcase his speed. Healready has catches of 30 and 21 yards this season that came from his ability to create separation and run past defensive backs.

The Saints also like to send Cooks on Jet sweeps,when Cooks leaves his receiver position and runs behind the offensive line just before the ball is snapped. The Panthers occasionally run a similar play with speedster Philly Brown.

This season, Cooks has performed that motion five times, carrying the ball twice. He was a decoy three times.

But Cooks’ speed must be respected, because he can outrun defenders to the edge and potentially break long runs.

This story was originally published September 22, 2015 at 6:19 PM with the headline "Carolina Panthers coach Ron Rivera doesn’t expect New Orleans Saints to change offense if QB Drew Brees is sidelined."