The New Orleans Saints get fired up, take first divisional game 34-13
By E.J. Terry
The New Orleans Saints traveled to Bank of America Stadium to take on the Carolina Panthers in hopes of obtaining their first win of the season.
The Panthers took to the field as Graham Gano scored a field goal on the opening drive. The Saints answered for the first time this season by scoring a touchdown on the opening drive.
Drew Brees threw a 5 yard TD pass to WR, Michael Thomas on their first possession of the 1st quarter to take a 7-3 lead. From this point the Saints took control of the entire game as they never trailed.
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On the other side of the ball, the Saints defense held the Panthers to 288 total yards. They also forced three turnovers in the form of interceptions by cornerback, P.J. Williams and safeties Marcus Williams and Kenny Vaccaro.
The Saints defense looked more polished as they pressured Cam Newton several times during the game. They collected four sacks thanks to Cam Jordan, Alex Okafor, who also forced a fumble, Trey Hendrekson and Hau’oli Kikaha.
The key to the Saints efforts on defense today was the fact that they trusted each other and the Panthers appeared to have put the game in Christian McCaffrey’s hands to win. McCaffrey’s 117 total yards from scrimmage wasn’t enough to slowdown the Saints on Sunday.
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During pre-game warmups, Saint’s QB Drew Brees said to his team, “Don’t be afraid of success.” The Saints played a successful game today. They won in all areas, time of possession, turnover battle and trust from their leader.
Next week, the Saints are moving on to the UK to take on the Miami Dolphins. Wins like the one on Sunday against the league’s top defense should bring out the best in the organization. Let’s see if they can carry the momentum to the UK.
My prediction: Saints 27, Dolphins 16.