The New Orleans Saints (3-5) go for back-to-back wins for the first time this season when the Carolina Panthers (3-5) come to Caesars Superdome. The winner grabs sole possession of first place in the NFC South. Here are our staff predictions for the game.
Jeff Duncan (Season record: 4-4)
Saints 30, Panthers 23: This is the second “gotta-have-it” game for the Saints after returning from Paris. They need to play with the enthusiasm of a desperate team. The Saints have Bryce Young’s number. The Panthers’ quarterback is 1-5 in his career against New Orleans. It will be 1-6 after Sunday.
Zach Ewing (Season record: 5-3)
Panthers 29, Saints 24: There were some encouraging signs for the Saints in their win over Cleveland, but there were still plenty of red flags, too. The defense gave up too many big plays, the offense had trouble turning yardage into points for most of the game and the offensive line surrendered five sacks. I just don’t trust the Saints to keep winning.
Luke Johnson (Season record: 5-3)
Saints 29, Panthers 27: This feels like it’s lining up to be a high-scoring type of game, but ultimately I think it’s going to come down to Saints pass rusher Chase Young being the difference with a few splash plays. He’ll be lining up across from Panthers left tackle Rasheed Walker, who has struggled in a major way protecting Bryce Young this season.
Matthew Paras (Season record: 2-6)
Saints 21, Panthers 16: I actually think this could be a lower-scoring affair, even with Carolina’s improved supporting cast and the Saints getting back Travis Etienne a week after seeing Jordyn Tyson and Kelvin Banks return. The Panthers do a good job at limiting explosive plays, and that will be an area of focus for New Orleans’ defense this week. Bryce Young always seems to not play well against the Saints, so I’ll rely on that track record. This game could go either way, but give me the Saints.
Rod Walker (Season record: 5-3)
Saints 24, Panthers 23: I went back and forth on this one. This feels like a must win for the Saints, especially with road trips to Chicago and Cincinnati next on the schedule. A loss here could turn into 3-8 quickly. The offense may have found something last week with the run game and that should be enough to help Tyler Shough improve to 3-0 against Carolina. This game probably won’t be pretty, but the Saints somehow find a way to win to move into first place in the NFC South.
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