The New Orleans Saints have a significant challenge heading into Week 2, but it won't be without confidence after a scintillating Week 1 display.
The Saints offense put up 47 points and thoroughly dominated the Panthers with their new look approach under Klint Kubiak. NFL analyst Mark Schlereth, who called the game on FOX, was particularly impressed with how Derek Carr ran the scheme.
"They were tremendous ... that’s an offense that Klint Kubiak has brought to the Saints that Derek Carr is so familiar with," Schlereth said, "and it’s an offense that he absolutely loves."
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Carr went 19-23 for 200 yards and 3 touchdowns, continuing a heater he's been on dating back to the end of the 2023 season.
"I just thought the whole offensive system just did tremendous and of course, you know, grain of salt because it is the Carolina Panthers who picked up 6-7 guys off the waiver wire and are starting most of them, so you’ve got to take that into consideration, but the Saints looked really, really good," Schlereth continued.
Along with Carr, the Saints' effective approach included a commitment to the run game that rolled up 180 roads and another pair of scores on the ground, one apiece for Alvin Kamara and Jamaal Williams. Schlereth highlighted assistant coach Rick Dennison as a key piece of devising that plan, a coach Schlereth worked with during his playing days.
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"He’s a big believer, and this goes all the way back to my Denver days, of what we used to call call it, run it or tank plays," Schlereth said, "and what that is is we’re gonna call this play regardless of what we did it’s good against everything. We’re gonna call this play and we’re just gonna come off the ball and try to shorten your neck."
Those pages of the playbook could be particularly valuable on Sunday when they face off with a Cowboys defense that rolled up 6 sacks and 17 QB hits in a win over the Browns.