Saints seek 3rd straight win over rebuilding Panthers in season opener
Carolina (2-15) at New Orleans (9-8)
Sunday, 1 p.m. EDT, Fox.
BetMGM NFL Odds: Saints by 4.
Series record: Saints lead 30-28.
Last meeting: Saints beat Panthers 28-6 on Dec. 10, 2023, in New Orleans.
Panthers offense: overall (32), rush (20), pass (32), scoring (t-31).
Panthers defense: overall (4), rush (23), pass (4), scoring (29).
Saints offense: overall (14), rush (21), pass (11), scoring (9).
Saints defense: overall (13), rush (22), pass (10), scoring (8).
Turnover differential: Panthers minus-19, Saints plus-11.
Panthers player to watch
QB Bryce Young. All eyes will be on Carolina’s second-year quarterback. The No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL draft is coming off a rough rookie season where he was 2-14 as a starter and led an offense that finished last in the league in yards and tied for last in scoring. The Panthers were shutout in their final two games last season. Carolina spent $150 million on free agent guards Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis and added WRs Diontae Johnson and Xavier Legette to the passing game in hopes of helping Young’s development. Panthers first-year coach Dave Canales wants Young to get the ball out of his hands in fewer than 2.7 seconds.
Saints player to watch
Taysom Hill, who once sought to become a full-time starting QB, now carries a TE designation on the roster. But he’ll continue to take periodic snaps at QB, as well as at RB. He also will continue to play on special teams, mostly as a the upback on punts, giving the Saints a constant threat to run a fake with a run or pass. He is coming off the most productive season of his career in 2023 and appears to have an even more prominent role in the offense now under new coordinator Klint Kubiak.
Key matchup
Panthers WR Diontae Johnson vs. Saints CB Marshon Lattimore. Johnson, acquired in a trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers, will be Carolina’s top target in the passing game which almost certainly means he’ll draw one-on-ones with Lattimore, the Saints shutdown cornerback. That could force Young to look more to WR Adam Thielen.
Key injuries
The Panthers might be without their top tight ends in Tommy Tremble and Ian Thomas, leaving them with untested Jordan Matthews and Ja’Tavion Sanders at the position. Defensive tackle Khalen Saunders was the only starter sitting out a mid-week practice. He’s been slowed by a calf injury. LB D’Marco Jackson (calf), LB Jaylan Ford (hamstring) and rookie TE Dallin Holker (ankle) also missed practice. G Nick Saldiveri was limited by a calf injury.
Series notes
The Saints swept both meetings last season. Each team has won three games in the series during the past three seasons combined.
Stats and stuff
The Panthers are tied with the New York Jets for the worst record in the NFL (31-68) since 2018 when owner David Tepper purchased the team, and have averaged only 19.7 points per game over that span. … The Panthers have a new general manager in Dan Morgan, a former linebacker with the team. … Canales is the seventh Panthers head coach (including interims) Tepper took over in 2018. He has never been a head coach at the college or NFL level. … QB Bryce Young had 11 touchdowns and 10 interceptions last season. … RB Chuba Hubbard is expected to get the bulk of carries for Carolina, but Miles Sanders could see some carries, too. … DT Derrick Brown set an NFL record for tackles in a season by a defensive lineman last season. … QB Derek Carr passed for 3,878 yards and 25 TDs with 97.7 rating in 2023 and became the third player in NFL history (after Peyton Manning and Matt Ryan) to pass for 3,000 yards in each of his first 10 seasons … Hill last season had a career-high 692 scrimmage yards (401 rushing, 291 receiving) and accounted for seven total TDs (four rushing, 2 receiving, one passing) last season. … WR Chris Olave set career highs with 87 receptions for 1,123 yards and five TDs receiving last season. … DE Cameron Jordan enters his 14th season and ranks second among active players with 117 1/2 sacks, but had just two last season, the second-lowest season total of his career and better than only his rookie season in 2011. … DE Chase Young, drafted second overall by Washington in 2020, is set to make his Saints debut. He had 7 1/2 sacks with San Francisco in 2023. … LB Demario Davis had 121 tackles, 12 tackles for loss 6 1/2 sacks last season and is the only NFL player with at least 100 tackles and 10 or more tackles for loss in each of past seven seasons. … S Tyrann Mathieu is tied for second among active NFL players with 33 interceptions.
Fantasy tip
Saints RB Alvin Kamara had 1,160 scrimmage yards (694 rushing, 466 receiving) and six TDs (five rush, one receiving) last season. While those numbers compared favorably to players at his position around the league, it was statistically one of the least productive seasons of his career. Now he’s in what is effectively a contract year and in what is his eighth pro season, and motivated to maximize his value in an offense which is designed to utilize him as both a runner and receiver.
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