The New Orleans Saints may be turning a corner after a challenging six-game losing streak.
With veteran quarterback Derek Carr returning from an injury that sidelined him since Week 5, the Saints have an opportunity to regroup against the struggling Carolina Panthers (1-7) this Sunday.
Although the Saints (2-6) haven’t looked as formidable as they did in their season opener, where they raced to a 30-0 lead and defeated the Panthers 47-10 at the Superdome, they still appear to have the upper hand against Carolina.
The Saints are 3-0 against Panthers quarterback Bryce Young, winning the last two matchups by a combined 59 points.
Saints head coach Dennis Allen stressed that the impressive victory from Week 1 is irrelevant to this week’s game.
“Zero,” Allen stated. “That game was eight weeks ago. What matters is how we perform this week in practice and in the game.”
Under first-year head coach Dave Canales, the Panthers have shown little improvement on either side of the ball. Historically, only three teams have allowed more points through eight games in the Super Bowl era, and their offense ranks near the bottom in most metrics.
Carr, who completed 19 of 23 passes for 200 yards with two touchdowns in their first meeting, is looking to exploit Carolina’s weak secondary, which has surrendered 17 touchdown passes—tied for the most in the league.
Despite the pressure, Carr is focused on being a strong leader rather than trying to shoulder too much responsibility in an offense eager to break out of its slump.
“I am no savior,” Carr remarked. “I’m here to be a great leader, a great teammate, and to do my job to the best of my ability. Do I feel confident in what I can do? Absolutely.”
