The New Orleans Saints beat the Carolina Panthers 20-17 in a thrilling comeback win. The Saints won back-to-back games over NFC South opponents and have been disruptive in the race for the division. Kellen
Moore has the offense playing at a level they have yet to reach this season, and they are building on it one game at a time. There were plenty of positives to come out of Sunday’s win, but they’ll need to clean up some things if they want to win out this season.
Up: Team Morale
The Saints have put together back-to-back wins for the first time this season. Their season is done, the black and gold aren’t playing for anything meaningful this season, yet they are fighting and competing as if there’s a chance at the playoffs. For some, they may be worried if the Saints keep winning, as their draft position will worsen, but for a team that believes they may have their franchise quarterback, the confidence that comes from winning means a lot more.
The Saints have a favorable schedule to end the season. New Orleans will host the 3-11 New York Jets before traveling to Tennessee to take on the 2-12 Tennessee Titans. The Saints will then finish the season hosting the Atlanta Falcons. The black and gold can finish the season with a five-game win streak, and they certainly will try to.
Up: Charlie Smyth
Kicker Charlie Smyth has had a strong showing since taking over when the Saints released Blake Grupe. Smyth is 4/5 on his field goal attempts on the year, with his lone miss being from 48 yards out in the rain. The Irish kicker put together another strong performance in the team’s win over the Panthers, as Smyth ended the day 2/2 on his field goal attempts and 2/2 on PATs. The second-year kicker was called on to win the game for New Orleans after the offense drove 62 yards in 55 seconds to set him up for a 47-yard attempt with six seconds remaining to put the Saints up by three. As the ball left Smyth’s foot, he stared down the Panthers’ sideline as the ball went through the uprights.
Down: Saints’ pass rush
If anything negative has stood out in the Saints’ two-game win streak, it has been their lack of a pass rush. New Orleans has one sack in the two games, and their failure to take the quarterback down has consistently hurt it. Opposing quarterbacks have been able to evade the Saints’ pass rush and extend plays, either keeping their eyes downfield to find a receiver or using their legs. Bryce Young ended Sunday’s game with 49 rushing yards on 7 carries, while Baker Mayfield logged 42 yards on the ground on 6 carries.
The Saints’ defense has taken a huge step up this season, thanks to Brandon Staley’s scheme, but a recent drought while rushing the passer has been their biggest weakness. There have been numerous instances of opposing quarterbacks picking up first downs with their legs on third down, extending drives, and ultimately leading to points. If the black and gold could consistently take down the passer, at least on third down, it would unlock an even better defense.
Down: Penalties
Despite winning on Sunday, there were plenty of moments in the game that would make any fan groan—especially due to penalties. The Saints ended the day with 9 penalties for 78 yards. Similar to the start of the season, these penalties occurred presnap and forced the offense into difficult situations.
While some of the flags thrown were questionable, New Orleans needs to play more disciplined if it wants to continue to win games.
