The Saints have a chance to stack wins for the first time in a while when Carolina comes to New Orleans on Sunday afternoon, and the recent form points in one direction. New Orleans is 2-1 over its last three after the bye-week win over Cleveland, while the Panthers arrive on a three-game skid after beating the Lions and Eagles in early October.
This matchup also comes with a familiar recent edge for the Saints. New Orleans handled Carolina twice last season, winning 17-7 and 20-17, and has taken five of the last six meetings overall.
The bigger individual storyline is Chase Young, who has been wrecking game plans off the edge. After posting a career-high 10 sacks in 12 games last season, the Saints defensive end is already up to eight sacks through eight games this year, which puts him on pace for 16. He’s logged at least one sack in three straight games and at least half a sack in four straight, and he also had one sack and 1.5 tackles for loss in the two games against Carolina last season.
The division picture is still messy, with both teams sitting at 3-5 and tied atop the NFC South, just ahead of the 3-6 Buccaneers and Falcons. Carolina’s young talent is trending up, but New Orleans looks like the team moving in the right direction right now.
That’s enough for me to lean Saints as slight home favorites in Week 10.
In Other News...
Saints Run Game Still Has One Problem Fans Shouldn't Ignore
The Saints have spent the last stretch trying to patch up a rushing attack that needed more than a quick fix, and the front office has already shown it is willing to make changes to get there. Cutting Kendre Miller, firing run game coordinator T.J. Paganetti and bringing in Audric Estime were all part of the effort to stabilize a ground game that has been too uneven for comfort.
Estime gave the offense a lift against the Browns, helping New Orleans pile up 160 rushing yards, but the bigger issue has not gone away. The Saints still have not found steady production beyond his carries, and until that changes, the run game will remain more promise than solution. [Read more 🡒]
Saints Face A Trade Deadline Decision Fans Will Debate
The Saints place in the NFC South has made their trade deadline posture harder to read than most rebuilding teams. They are tied for first, but the front office is still operating with the long view in mind, and the Davon Godchaux deal already showed this could be a roster-shaping week rather than a stand-pat one. With New Orleans in the middle of a rebuild, every move has to balance the present standings against the need to keep building for later.
That is why the next few days could bring more interest in veterans who might draw real market attention. Chase Young, Carl Granderson and Devaughn Vele are among the names other teams could circle, but the Saints are also trying to protect their stockpile of draft capital as much as possible. The tension is obvious: if the offers are strong enough, New Orleans could keep reshaping the roster, but it does not want to sacrifice the picks it needs to keep the rebuild moving. [Read more 🡒]
Saints Injury Could Force A Line Decision Fans Werent Expecting
Erik McCoys injury has complicated what had been a real possibility for the Saints, because moving Cesar Ruiz now would leave the interior offensive line thinner at a spot that matters even more when protecting quarterback Tyler Shough. The situation has turned what looked like a straightforward roster conversation into a much more delicate one, with New Orleans having to weigh short-term stability against any longer-term plans.
Ruiz may end up shifting to center to help cover McCoys absence, and that opens the door for rookie Jeremiah Wright to handle right guard. For the Saints, that is more than just a patch job. It gives them a chance to see Wright in live action during the season and get a better read on whether that position needs to be addressed again once the offseason arrives. [Read more 🡒]