The New Orleans Saints recorded their second consecutive win on Sunday in the Mercedes Superdome where they hosted the Carolina Panthers for a final score of 41-38. The Saints headed into today’s game a 3-point underdog against a team that went 15-1 last season before appearing in Superbowl 50. There was a lot on the line for both teams in this high-scoring divisional match up, as the contest for the NFC South champion ensues.
New Orleans Saints Week Six Takeaways
On Defense
The Saints defense had one thing going for them today. Their secondary didn’t look as bad as Carolina’s. Ever since the Panthers allowed Josh Norman to walk last season, their secondary has been struggling. They revamped their defense and filled their positions with rookies and young guys who still haven’t found their groove. By the second quarter, the Panthers were down an embarrassing 21-0.
While the Saints defense wasn’t a whole lot better, allowing the Panthers to rally from a 24-10 deficit in the first half to tie the game at 38 in the fourth quarter, they did walk off the field with the win. Their secondary did a good job holding the Panthers to one touchdown in the first half which allowed Drew Brees and the offense to rack up as many points as they could before the halftime.
A few notables from today’s game, were the two sacks on Cam Newton in the first half by Kasim Edebali, Nick Fairley and Daryl Tapp and the interception by Sterling Moore. However, the big plays made by the defense to allow the Saints to rise to 21-0 quickly disappeared and their defense was uninspiring for most of the second half of the football game.
On Offense
The New Orleans offense was on fire today, putting up huge numbers and crushing records. They scored 24 points in the first half and another 17 points in the second half.
Drew Brees made 34 of 49 completions (69.4%), with 465 yards and four touchdowns, breaking the NFL record for the most 400-yard passing games. This is his 15th career 400-plus game which puts him ahead of Peyton Manning, who he was previously tied with. Brees has over 50,000 yards passing as a New Orleans Saint, making him the 6th quarterback of all time to pass for over 50,000 yards with one team. Today’s game also marks his eighth straight home game with at least three touchdown passes.
The quarterback from Purdue managed to hit ten different targets passing today and the Saints offense scored five touchdowns. Receiver Brandin Cooks had seven catches for 173 yards. He scored an 87-yard touchdown off a pass from Drew Brees in the first quarter. The dynamic duo now have the two longest touchdowns in the NFL (which includes a previous 98-yard touchdown by Cooks from Brees). Tight ends Josh Hill and Coby Fleener both scored touchdowns. Fleener came away with two touchdowns, one of which was the first rushing touchdown of his career. Hill scored the final touchdown for the Saints to conclude a 75-yard drive late in the fourth quarter. Rookie receiver Michael Thomas made 5 catches for 78 yards and also scored a touchdown.
Special Teams
Rookie Will Lutz was two for three today. He missed a 53-yard field goal attempt early in the game, marking his fourth missed goal, all of which have been over 50 yards. He redeemed himself late in the first half with a 33-yard field goal. With eleven seconds left on the clock, Lutz came through for the Saints, kicking the 52-yard game-winning field goal. Tommylee Lewis also had a couple of big plays, including a 59-yard punt return
Penalties
The Saints had an issue with penalty calls this week. They had ten penalties for 126 yards in the game. Three of their penalties were pass interference calls in the end zone. This is something Sean Payton and Dennis Allen will want to work on for next week.
Conclusion
The New Orleans Saints are a long way away from throwing in the towel on their season. They headed into today’s game with a lack lustre 1-3 record and pulled out the win they desperately needed. They are now tied for second in their division behind the Atlanta Falcons, leaving their rivals the Panthers in the dust with a lousy 1-5 record. Reeling in a road win in San Diego before heading into their bye week bolstered their confidence and allowed them extra time to recover from their multiple injuries. Their divisional win today will hopefully give the Saints the momentum they need to head into Kansas City in Week Seven.
