Saints will play without top-2 wide receivers vs. Panthers
While the Panthers are looking perilously thin at cornerback, the Saints have been equally unlucky at wide receiver. New Orleans will be forced to play Carolina this weekend without its top two pass-catching weapons.
First, Emmanuel Sanders was placed on the team’s reserve/COVD-19 list today. Like Panthers cornerback Rasul Douglas, that makes him ineligible to play on Sunday. Their No. 1 wide receiver Michael Thomas has also been ruled out. He’s been dealing with ankle and hamstring injuries that have kept him on the sidelines for a while. He’s also had disciplinary issues, getting fined and benched for Week 6 after punching a teammate at practice. Thomas has only played once this season.
Both are huge losses for a Saints offense that’s been carried this season by a spooky-good Alvin Kamara and the ghost of Drew Brees.
We should expect to see more looks for slot receiver Tre’Quan Smith, making his matchup against Corn Elder that much more important. Tight end Jared Cook could also see more targets.
Most likely, it will just mean an even heavier workload for Kamara, who has already totaled 676 yards and seven touchdowns from scrimmage in just five games. With Christian McCaffrey out for the last month, it’s hard to argue any running back in the league has played better of late than Kamara – with the possible exception of Derrick Henry. Focusing on stopping No. 41 has to be the top priority for the Panthers defense this week.
