Carl Granderson And Chase Young Can Make Bryce Young’s Day a Lot Harder

Last Sunday Bryce Young threw for 276 yards and three touchdowns against Denver, and Carolina still lost the ball on the possession that could have won the game. Broncos edge rusher Nik Bonitto beat left tackle Rasheed Walker and knocked the ball loose as he sacked Young. That’s the play I’d put at the top of the Saints’ film session. The New Orleans Saints have a chance to take first place in the NFC South on Sunday, and I’d start by seeing how often Carl Granderson and Chase Young can make Bryce Young move before he wants to. 

Carolina’s official game logs show that Bryce Young took five sacks against Tampa Bay, six against Green Bay and three against Denver. Those 14 sacks came in three consecutive losses. But look at the Denver game again. Young completed 28 of 39 passes and threw three touchdown passes despite the pressure. The Saints can win their share of snaps up front and still have a long afternoon if Young gets clean throws at the right moments. 

My preference would be to give Granderson and Chase Young chances to rush with four and keep seven defenders available in coverage. If those two can win without extra help, New Orleans can close off some of the quick throws that let a quarterback get the ball out before the rush arrives. And when an edge rusher gets around a tackle, I want to see someone inside closing the pocket. A clean path up the middle can turn a good rush into an easy escape.

Granderson enters Week 10 with 7.5 sacks, tied for fourth in the NFL according to the Saints. Against Cleveland, his pressure on Shedeur Sanders helped force the incomplete pass on the 2-point attempt that preserved New Orleans’ 23-22 overtime win. That last snap was a good reminder of how much a pass rusher can do even when the quarterback gets the ball out. 

Early Sunday, I’ll be watching what Carolina asks its tight ends and backs to do. If a tight end has to chip Granderson before releasing, that can delay a route Young might otherwise have available right away. If a back stays in to help, that’s one fewer immediate outlet. Those are small advantages the Saints can build on. Once Carolina shows where it wants to send the help, New Orleans can move its rushers around and see how the protection adjusts.

Both teams enter at 3-5, and kickoff is at noon Central on Sunday, Nov. 15, inside the Caesars Superdome. For Saints fans watching from Houston or in the building, the matchup I’d keep an eye on is what happens when Carolina faces third-and-long with the crowd involved.

Can Granderson get around the edge while the rest of the front keeps Young from stepping up? Can the coverage hold long enough to make him look for a second option? I’ll take a hurried throw and a punt in that spot all afternoon. A sack would just make it louder.