After discussing the New Orleans Saints’ upcoming matchup on the offensive side of the ball, we’ll now flip the attention to what the defense has to face this Sunday versus the Carolina Panthers. Following a dominant performance in the previous meeting, does Brandon Staley’s defense have an encore in them for Week 15?
The Saints currently rank 12th in the league in defense, allowing just 313.5 yards and 24.2 points per game. Meanwhile, Carolina’s offense puts up just 19 points a contest while averaging
a little over 311 yards per game. Those marks have the Panthers slotted in at 23rd offensively.
After scoring on the opening drive of the game, Carolina’s offense faltered and could not break through the teeth of the Saints’ defense. Here’s a rundown of what resulted previously.
Last time the two teams met, Demario Davis led the Saints with seven tackles. Alontae Taylor, Kool-Aid McKinstry, and Pete Werner all followed with six each. Taylor also secured the only interception thrown by either team in Week 10, picking off Bryce Young on a pass intended for rookie wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan in the fourth quarter.
New Orleans held Carolina to less than 200 yards of total offense and forced two turnovers. The Panthers also managed just a 33.3% conversion rate on third-down attempts. New Orleans forced a turnover on downs on their lone fourth-down attempt as well.
Young finished the game 17-25, passing for 124 yards through the air. He ran just twice for six yards while tailback Rico Dowdle rushed for 53 yards and the Panthers’ lone points on the day.
Young’s top target, McMillan, gave the Saints’ defense fits with five receptions for 60 receiving yards. He averaged 12 per catch, but picked up 26 yards on a deep pass into New Orleans’ territory inside the third quarter.
Although New Orleans will have the home-field advantage in their favor this time out, I would not be surprised one bit to see the Panthers playing with a little extra motivation this weekend. They are in a position to control their own destiny and carve out a spot in the postseason with their first division title since 2015. However, the Saints are coming off an upset victory, and I’d love nothing more than to see back-to-back wins versus NFC South opponents.
