This Sunday, the New Orleans Saints travel east, visiting the Carolina Panthers. In a nearly 180 degree move, it might not be the normal matchup between the two that the Who Dat Nation is used to.
In years past, the Saints have been the team viewed higher. However now, the script has been flipped. New Orleans is in line for a top-two draft pick, and Carolina is in line for its first playoff appearance in eight years. To make matters worse, the Saints have lost three of the last four games in Carolina.
Saints head coach Kellen Moore acknowledged the Panthers rushing attack, saying they've done a nice job this season and have won some games because of it after practice on Wednesday. "Over the last few weeks, you can certainly see that they've created some consistency, some rhythm, and a flow," Moore said to the media. 'They run the football really, really well; they're keeping people from scoring touchdowns on defense, controlling the game under their terms."
The Saints defense will have thier work cut out for them on Sunday
The Carolina Panthers offense is... weird, to say the least. While ranking 27th in passing offense, the Panthers nearly lead the league in rushing yards, currently sitting at 1,258 yards this season. They also average 138.9 yards per game. Their top rusher is running back Rico Dowdle, who has 735 yards and four touchdowns on 131 carries.
That doesn't bode well for the New Orleans Saints defense. Struggling severely against the run, the Brandon Staley-led squad is ranked 27th in the NFL. So far this season, they've allowed 129.4 yards a game for a total of 1,165 on the year. They better have Dowdle's name circled, starred, and highlighted. or else they might have a big storm coming their way.
So far this season, the running game has been more than just the engine of the offense. That's the only thing they've got going for them. Their passing offense is near the bottom of the barrel in 2025. If the New Orleans defense can manage the Carolina rushing offense just a little bit, the black and gold might be able to come out on top and get their second win of the season.