If the New Orleans Saints hope to stay in the playoff face, completing a season sweep of the Carolina Panthers would be a good start.
Looking for a defensive struggle on Thursday night between the New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers? Good luck. Earlier this season, Sean Payton’s team outlasted the defending NFC champions, 41-38, in Week 6 at the Superdome.
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Sound familiar? Last season in the Crescent City, it was the Panthers who prevailed in a wild affair, 41-38, when last these clubs squared off.
We know that the Saints can move the football and score points. They are also a team that, following a 0-3 start, has won four of its last six games. Narrow losses to the Kansas City Chiefs (27-21) and Denver Broncos (25-23) have slightly marred a pretty good run. But the fact remains that Payton’s squad is ranked first in the NFL in total offense while only three teams have surrendered more yards per game.
As 4-5, the team trails the Atlanta Falcons (off in Week 11) by a game and a half. A victory at Carolina would not only even the team’s record, it would complete a season sweep of the Panthers and raise the Saints’ record within the division to 3-1. Of course, that one loss was to the Falcons at the Superdome back in late September.
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Quarterback Drew Brees is having another productive year. He has already thrown for 2,992 yards as well as 24 scores. He’s been picked off just seven times and lost only one fumble. Brees is completing a blistering 69.9 percent of his passes and his two-dozen scores have gone to nine different players. Wide receivers Brandin Cooks (6), rookie Michael Thomas (5) and Willie Snead (4) have combined for 15 touchdowns.
However, the key could be the play of Dennis Allen’s defense. While the Saints have given up plenty of yards and points, they have also forced 15 turnovers in nine games this season. The Panthers have been a little sloppy with the football, coughing up the pigskin 19 times in 2016. That equals the team’s turnover total from a season ago.
So what are the Saints’ chances in front of the NBC broadcast crew on Thursday Night Football? Pretty good, to be perfectly honest.
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We have already seen the Panthers lose at home this season to the Minnesota Vikings, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Kansas City Chiefs. Keep in mind that this was a team that was a perfect 10-0 home in 2015 (including playoffs). It’s safe to say that Newton and company and vulnerable. Now it’s just a matter of the Saints being able to take advantage of that fact.