The New Orleans Saints get their next opportunity to play spoiler when the Carolina Panthers come to town in Week 15.
The Saints took down the Panthers at their place when these teams matched up in Week 15, but Carolina still sits in a tie for the division and is fresh coming off their most impressive win of the season over the Rams. Drew Brees was on the call for that game, and says the recipe for beating Carolina is straightforward.
“I think first and foremost you’ve got to stop the run. ... On paper the Panthers should’ve had zero chance [against the Rams], especially defensively, you know, they were missing two starters, but offensively ... what helps the young quarterback, being able to run the football, establish the run," Brees told Bobby Hebert on WWL Radio. "So you look at Chuba Hubbard and you look at Rico Dowdle like I would give these guys the ball 35 times between the two of them, either running the ball or just out of the backfield, but like, they’re really good players."
Hear the full interview with Drew Brees in the player above. Can't see the embed? Click here.
That fact is born out in the numbers. Since Week 5 the Panthers are 5-0 in games when they run for 125 or more yards. In the games they've held below that mark, the record is 1-3. When these teams met in Week 10 the Saints held both Dowdle and Hubbard in check, with the Panthers accruing just 73 yards on the ground while New Orleans ran for 122.
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Brees also sees the Panthers' size at the WR position as a key advantage. That group is headlined by rookie Tetairoa McMillan, who is currently leading all first-year WRs with 826 yards. He's also notched six touchdowns on his 57 catches. The Saints limited McMillan to 60 yards on five catches in Week 10.
"Every one of their receivers is 6-4, 6-5, they’ve got guys who can work the middle of the field, so it was one of those games where you were just saying run the ball and then find your moments to hopefully get some matchups with some of these bigger receivers, and they literally executed the gameplan to perfection," Brees continued. "That’s why they beat the Rams, and they got some turnovers, because the Rams moved the ball up and down the field. So, I don’t know, look, they’re absolutely going to be ready to play us and they have a lot to play for. They’re in control of their destiny."
The Saints (3-10) host the Panthers (7-6) at 3:25 p.m. inside the Caesars Superdome. Catch all the action on WWL and Audacy.