Panthers wary of Packers' loss

Panthers wary of Packers' loss
Secondary took a shredding by Saints, but no one's expecting more of the same.
Panthers at Green Bay, 1 p.m. Sunday, Fox

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/290/story/381140.html


The Green Bay Packers' elite pass defense – fresh from a shredding by the New Orleans Saints' Drew Brees – isn't so elite anymore.

Don't tell that to the Carolina Panthers, the Packers' opponents Sunday at Lambeau Field.

“Those kinds of games happen,” said Panthers coach John Fox of the Packers' 51-29 loss against the Saints on Monday, when Brees threw for 323 yards and four touchdowns.

Green Bay entered the Saints game with the league's third-ranked pass defense (176.3 yards per game), but dropped to sixth (189.2) after Brees took them apart with a passer rating of 157.5 (less than one point away from a perfect rating of 158.3).

It was an embarrassing night for a secondary that includes two of the league's top cornerbacks – Charles Woodson and Al Harris – and talented safeties Nick Collins and Atari Bigby.

“They've got good aggressive corners, best in the league,” said Panthers receiver Steve Smith. “We don't run the offense that New Orleans runs, so what happened to them Monday can be misleading.”

Seven Saints players caught passes from Brees, which is something the Panthers probably are learning from.

“They definitely spread the ball around,” said Carolina receiver Dwayne Jarrett. “That made it hard for Green Bay to game-plan them. When they had eight in the box (at the line of scrimmage), Brees would hit them with another pass. They had a well-balanced offensive game and they couldn't stop it. If we go into the game doing something like that, we'll be fine.”

Still, the Packers' secondary has had more good days than bad. Green Bay is tied for second in the league in interceptions (17) and has returned six of them four touchdowns. They've got 570 yards in return yardage.

Woodson, in his third season with Green Bay after eight with the Oakland Raiders, is tied for the league lead with Collins and two others with five interceptions. Harris, who still plays with that long hair hanging from beneath his helmet, made the Pro Bowl last season for the first time. He'll likely cover Smith for much of Sunday's game.

“Those are some playmakers,” said Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme. “They can catch the football. They've scored a lot of points. A lot of guys who play (defensive back) might have a little trouble handling the ball. But this guy Woodson has been doing it since college (when he won the Heisman Trophy at Michigan). The corners are just in your face and opportunistic, too.”

Said Jarrett: “They know the game, inside and out. With them having that experience, you just have to get to the right spots and not have any missed assignments. Hopefully, we'll be in synch.”