The Carolina Panthers are hot right now as they have won two games in a row and four of their last five.  In their last two games, they have outscored their opponents 76-29!  The Saints have won seven games in a row.  They need a win and a 49ers loss to the Rams to secure the #2 seed in the NFC for the playoffs.  I don’t see the Niners losing to the Rams.  The Saints won the first meeting between these teams 30-27 at Carolina.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Panthers have the ball:  The Panthers are going to be all systems go against the Saints this weekend.  I look for them to be pretty balanced offensively.  Jonathan Stewart, DeAngelo Williams and Cam Newton will likely all take shots at a Saints’ D that is giving up 104.9 yards rushing per game, but 4.9 yards per carry so far this year.  The Saints are giving up 268.0 yards passing per game this year, so look for Cam Newton to attack them down the field with WRs Steve Smith and Brandon LaFell.  Look for TEs Jeremy Shockey and Greg Olsen to get a lot of work on the underneath stuff.

When the Saints have the ball:  The Saints are likely going to be scoreboard watching, which will determine how long they play their regulars. If the 49ers jump on the Rams early in the game, Drew Brees likely won’t play that long in this game with Chase Daniel replacing him at QB.  If the Rams keep it close, Brees could play deep into this game….but that’s not too likely.  The Saints will also likely get Darren Sproles and Pierre Thomas work early in this game with Chris Ivory taking over at some point.  Don’t be surprised to see Marques Colston, Jimmy Graham and Lance Moore getting a quick hook.

PREDICTION:  PANTHERS 31, SAINTS 23

The Carolina Panthers will be sending two players to the Pro Bowl.  32-year old WR Steve Smith is having a monster year for the Panthers.  He has played in 15 games for the Panthers so far this year and he has caught 73 passes for 1,308 yards (17.9 avg) with 6 TD grabs. Smith has also carried the ball 5 times for 55 yards (11.0 ypc).  26-year old center Ryan Kalil has been elected to start the Pro Bowl for the NFC.  He has played in 15 games (all starts) for the Panthers so far this year.

The Panthers have lost 28-year old WR Legedu Naanee for the rest of the season due to a broken foot.  Naanee played in 15 games for the Panthers this year and he caught 44 passes for 467 yards (10.6 avg) with 1 TD grab.  He has now played in 69 games in his first five years in the NFL and he has caught 107 passes for 1,213 yards (11.3 avg) with 4 TD grabs.  Brandon LaFell will get more throws this weekend against the Saints with Naanee on the shelf, and he should do a good job.

The Carolina Panthers made quick work of the Buccaneers again last Saturday.  Cam Newton was very efficient in this game as he completed 12 of 17 passes for 171 yards with 3 TD passes and 0 INTs.  He also carried the ball 6 times for 65 yards (10.8 avg) with 1 TD run in this game.  Jonathan Stewart led the way on the ground for the Panthers in this game with 88 yards rushing on 7 carries (12.6 ypc) and he also caught 1 pass for 11 yards with a TD.  DeAngelo Williams also had a solid game running the ball with 66 yards rushing on 7 carries (9.4 ypc) with 2 TD runs and he also caught 2 passes for 18 yards (9.0 avg).  RB Josh Vaughan pitched in with 24 yards rushing on 7 carries (3.4 ypc).  WR Brandon LaFell (3 rec, 103 yards, TD) and TE Jeremy Shockey (2 rec, 14 yards, TD) led the way in the passing game for the Panthers.  The Panthers finished up with 270 yards rushing on 31 carries (8.7 ypc) and they also completed 12 of 17 passes (70.6%) for 163 yards as they had possession of the ball for 27:03.

The defense was rock solid for the Panthers in this game.  LB Jordan Senn (10 tackles), LB James Anderson (7 tackles, 1 tackle for a loss, 1 pass defensed and 1 fumble recovery) and DB Jonathan Nelson (7 tackles, 1 pass defensed and 1 interception) led the way for the Panthers in this game.  DT Andre Neblett and CB Josh Thomas pitched in with 1 interception apiece in this game.  The Buccaneers finished up with 59 yards rushing on 19 carries (3.1 ypc) and they also completed 28 of 38 passes (73.7%) for 258 yards.  The Panthers are now 6-9 on the season.

The Panthers have placed 23-year old cornerback Captain Munnerlyn on the Injured Reserve List, ending his season due to a hamstring injury.  Munnerlyn played in 14 games for the Panthers last year and he had 58 tackles, 2 sacks, 5 passes defensed, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery and 1 tackle for a loss.  Munnerlyn has now played in 45 games in his first three years with the Panthers and he has 147 tackles, 3 interceptions (one returned for a TD), 18 passes defensed, 2 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries and 1 tackle for a loss.  The Panthers are really going to miss Munnerlyn next weekend against the Saints in the season finale.

The Panthers are rolling now as they have won three of their last four games.  Just three weeks ago, they thumped the Buccaneers 38-19 at Tampa.  The Buccaneers have lost 8 games in a row and they have not played a close game in the last 3 weeks.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Panthers have the ball:  The Panthers are going to likely run a balanced offense against the Bucs tomorrow.  Johnathan Stewart, DeAngelo Williams and Cam Newton are going to be busy tomorrow against a Bucs’ D that is allowing 141.1 yards rushing per game and 4.6 yards per carry.  The Bucs don’t have a good pass rush, so Cam Newton is going to have time to throw the ball.  Newton is going to be looking for WR Steve Smith a lot tomorrow as the Bucs don’t really have anyone capable of covering him.

When the Buccaneers have the ball:  Josh Freeman has a sore shoulder, so the Panthers will likely dare him to throw the long ball.  I see most of the defense lining up within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage tomorrow.  The Panthers must be ready to stop LeGarrette Blount tomorrow and he’s a load to bring down.  But when the Bucs get behind they abandon the running game.  Josh Freeman has 18 interceptions and he has already lost 3 fumbles this year, so the Panthers are likely to make some big plays on D tomorrow.

PREDICTION:  PANTHERS 34, BUCCANEERS 10

The Panthers jumped out to a 21-o lead at the half, before cruising to a rather easy road win today.  Cam Newton completed 13 of 23 passes for 149 yards with 2 TD passes and 0 INTs.  He also carried the ball 7 times for 55 yards (7.9 ypc) in this game.  Armanti Edwards completed his only pass attempt today and it was good for 11 yards.  DeAngelo Williams led the way for the Panthers on the ground with 15 carries for 61 yards (4.1 ypc) with 1 TD run.  Jonathan Stewart pitched in with 43 yards rushing on 11 carries (3.9 ypc) and he also caught 2 passes for 8 yards in this game.  TE Richie Brockel scored a TD on a 7-yard run on a trick play.  WR Steve Smith (5 rec, 82 yards, TD) and TE Jeremy Shockey (2 rec, 35 yards, TD) led the way in the passing game for the Panthers today.  The Panthers finished up with 166 yards rushing on 34 carries (4.9 ypc) and they also completed 14 of 24 passes (58.3%) for 150 yards as they had possession of the ball for 32:34.

The defense made big plays when they had to today despite giving up a lot of yards.  LBs Jordan Senn (14 tackles, 1 tackle for a loss, 1 pass defensed and 1 interception), Dan Connor (8 tackles and 1 tackle for a loss) and James Anderson (6 tackles, 1 tackle for a loss, 1 pass defensed, 1 fumble recovery and 1 interception) led the way for the D in this game.  Safety Sherrod Martin pitched in with 8 tackles in this game.  The Texans finished up with 150 yards rushing on 25 carries (6.0 ypc) and they also completed 19 of 30 passes (63.3%) for 208 yards.  The Panthers are now 5-9 on the season.

The Panthers are playing well lately as they have won two of their last three games.  The Texans are red hot right now as they have won seven games in a row.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Panthers have the ball:  For some reason, the Panthers would rather throw the ball than give it to their best players on the ground.  The Panthers should run the ball against the Texans, who are giving up 91.5 yards rushing per game, but 4.1 yards per carry.  DeAngelo Williams, Jonathan Stewart and Cam Newton have a good shot to find running room this weekend.  Opposing QBs only have a 62.6 QB Rating against the Texans so far this year, and they already have 17 interceptions and 36 sacks.  Cam Newton is going to have to be careful throwing the ball this weekend as the Texans’ are likely going to double cover Steve Smith all day long.

When the Texans have the ball:  The Texans are a run first team.  They are going to give the ball to Arian Foster and Ben Tate a lot against a Panthers’ D that is allowing 128.9 yards rushing per game and 4.5 yards per carry.  The front seven are likely going to have fits trying to deal with the Texans’ RBs this Sunday.  Rookie QB T.J. Yates got the shot last week to win a game on the road and he was impressive against the Bengals.  The Panthers are going to have to get some pressure on Yates, and try to force him into making some mistakes.  TE Owen Daniels and WRs Kevin Walter and Jacoby Jones give Yates some nice targets, but none of them really scare the Panthers much.

PREDICTION:  TEXANS 20, PANTHERS 17

22-year old rookie QB Cam Newton is still playing at a very high level for the Panthers.  He has played in 13 games for the Panthers so far this year and he has completed 270 of 452 passes (59.7%) for 3,573 yards with 15 TD passes and 16 INTs (81.1 QB Rating).  Newton also has carried the ball 107 times for 554 yards (5.2 ypc) with an already NFL record 13 TD runs for a QB.  It’s scary to think how good Newton is going to be in the future as he learns from some mistakes he’s making this year.  It’s only a matter of time until the Panthers get back to the playoffs, as they need to rebuild on the D.

The Panthers have lost 25-year old linebacker Jason Phillips for the rest of the season due to a calf injury.  Phillips played in 4 games for the Panthers this year and he had 4 tackles.  Phillips has now played in 13 games in his first two years in the NFL and he has 9 tackles.  It will be interesting to see if the Panthers bring back Phillips in 2012, as they are going to look to revamp on the defensive side of the football.