Get ready, folks, it's time to play for the NFC South lead.
Neither team has a winning record, but the New Orleans Saints enter Week 10 with wins in two of their last three games and a chance to get on a roll before a daunting road swing. The Panthers have lost three straight, but they'll look to get their pass rush started against a reshuffled Saints offensive line. Can the Saints ride Travis Etienne and Co. to another strong day on the ground?
With all that in mind, scroll below for the top three things I'm watching for (and some lagniappe) ahead of the divisional showdown inside the Dome.
THE GAME | Panthers (3-5) at Saints (3-5)
- When: Noon, Sunday, Nov. 14
- Where: Caesars Superdome, New Orleans, La.
- Series history: Saints lead 34-29
- Last meeting: 2025 ... Saints 20, Panthers 17
- Betting: Saints -2.5; o/u 48.5
- TV: FOX
- Listen: WWL AM-870; FM-105.3 & the Audacy app
- Pregame: First Take with Steve Geller & Jeff Nowak, 8-10 a.m.; Countdown to Kickoff with Steve Geller & Bobby Hebert, 10 a.m.-noon
1. BIG-TIME BACKUPS?
When the week started there was already an expectation that the Saints would have to turn to at least one backup offensive lineman, with Erik McCoy set to miss time with a biceps injury. On Wednesday that number effectively doubled with the news that right guard Cesar Ruiz would line up at center. That meant two backups with rookie Jeremiah Wright set to pull his second career start at right guard.
Then on Friday that number increased again. Taliese Fuaga injured his knee in Thursday's practice and was ruled out, putting Asim Richards in line to get back into the starting rotation again, this time at right tackle.
The entire right side of your offensive line at a position they've played sparingly this season? Let's call it suboptimal. When you add to that the facts that David Edwards is managing a knee injury and Kelvin Banks is still working back to form after five games missed, it's now the biggest story of the entire game.
Just how effective can the Saints look in this matchup? The last time we saw Richards and Wright both starting was Week 7 in Paris, a game where the Saints managed their worst rushing output in a quarter century during a loss to the Steelers. Richards is now flipping sides of the line, something he also did last year. Will Sherman will remain in a versatile backup role and should get on the field as a jumbo tight end, a concept we saw the Saints employ effectively against the Browns.
The good news is they're going against a Panthers front that has been anything but dominant. It's a group that features Derrick Brown, one of the top interior players in the NFL, but he hasn't been able to coax elite performances out of his counterparts, at least not consistently.
The Panthers rank dead last in the NFL with just 12 sacks on the year, and their 101 QB pressures ranks 27th. They'll also be without Bobby Okereke, who is second on the team this season with 49 tackles. They are expected to get back edge rusher Jaelan Phillips, a big-money free agent acquisition who has 2.5 sacks but has been limited to just five games due to injury.
They've also allowed just over 133.4 rush yards per game, the fifth most in the NFL. They've already fired their defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero and replaced him with Todd Wash. Some of the changes were evident last week. The Panthers blitzed well below their season average in a close loss to the Broncos and held Denver to an inefficient 82 rushing yards on 27 carries (3.03 yards per carry).
It could be a slog on the ground, but the Saints have to stay committed to that part of the game. They'll be getting Travis Etienne back into the mix, and the biggest questions are whether he's on a pitch count and how the team divvies up the action between him, Audric Estime and Alvin Kamara. All three are expected to see the field, so fatigue can't be an excuse in the run game.
If the Saints can average >4 yards per carry, I think they win this game.
2. CAN YOU HOLD UP DOWNFIELD?
When Brandon Staley spoke to the media this week, he had a clear point to make: The Saints defense has been largely playing well and doing exactly what they want to do -- with the exception of a handful of plays.
If you look at just this snapshot of plays against the Browns:
- Denzel Boston deep right sideline, 60 yards
- KC Concepcion deep right sideline, 64 yards, TD
- Deep left to Jerry Jeudy, 30 yards
- Short right to Harold Fannin, 39 yards, TD
Those four passes accounted for 193 yards and two TDs. The other 27? 15 completions for 104 yards (3.8 yards per attempt).
The Saints also stuffed the run as well as we've seen all year, with the duo of Dylan Sampson and Quinshon Judkins to just over 2.8 yards per carry. That's a good thing.
Staley's message: Build on the good, eliminate the bad. This team is a lot closer than the numbers make it seem.
I hope that's true. Because what I've seen this season is a defense with a penchant for breaking down at the worst possible times.
- In Week 1 when you forced OT? The Lions go right down the field for the go-ahead touchdown.
- In Week 3 when you went up 11 midway through the third quarter? A breakdown allows a 35-yard Mike Washington TD, followed by another pair of TDs after turnovers.
- In Week 6 after going up 34-10? The JJ McCarthy show starts and the Giants score on three straight possessions before running out time down 8 deep in Saints territory?
- In Week 9 after going up 9-6? Long TD to Concepcion on the next play.
- In Week 9 after going up 16-13? A 7-play, 41-yard drive for a 51-yard tying FG
- In Week 9 after going up 23-16 in OT? An 8-play TD drive capped off by Fannin's tackle-breaking TD.
I should mention that the Saints defense did come up big on the game-ending drive against the Ravens, so clutch playmaking is in there. But I need this team to play better with a lead. One way to do that is to cut out the breakdowns on the back end that seem to crop up in the worst possible moments. Oh, and tackle better.
Both of those things will be important factors in this game. Carolina has two big-body WRs in Tetairoa McMillan and Jalen Coker who are difficult to get to the ground, not to mention Darren Waller at tight end. They run play action at the third-highest rate in the NFL, and Bryce Young has been attacking downfield with great success this year.
But they also allow pressure as consistently as anyone in the NFL. They've allowed 26th sacks on the year (7th most) and 144 pressures (third most). The only teams that have allowed more QB pressures have played an extra game.
Expect play action shot plays. Expect Chase Young and Carl Granderson to harass Chase Young. Expect some opportunities on the ball for the Saints DBs. Time to knock some of those shots down, as Staley likes to put it.
3. FLAG DAY?
This isn't so much something to watch as it is to be aware of a trend that Saints fans will want to continue.
The Panthers have had 70 accepted penalties go against them this year, the most in the NFL among teams that have played 8 games. All seven of the teams that have been penalized more on the year have played an extra game. Carolina's average of 8.75 penalties per game is second to only the Browns, the team the Saints faced last week.
In Carolina's close loss to the Broncos last week they were flagged 13 times for 119 yards. Let me say that again: THIRTEEN TIMES, FOR ONE HUNDRED AND NINETEEN YARDS.
If the Saints had done that in any game this season, how would we have been reacting toward the coaching staff. Spoiler: not good.
Five of those penalties were defensive pass interference in a game where the Panthers still had a chance to drive for a go-ahead touchdown in the final minutes. The backups they've been turning to are a big factor in that, but it's been a season-long issue. Carolina has drawn 9 or more penalties in half their games, and have had double-digits in three of them.
This team will make mistakes. Saints have to understand that and press the issue, and they also have to take advantage when given extra chances and free yards.
Oh, and if you're wondering: One of the strongest areas for growth from the Saints this year has been trimming out penalties. Through eight games they've had just 49 penalties accepted against them, the third lowest total in the NFL. They finished the 2025 season with 118 penalties against, the 10th most in the league.
Hopefully that trend can continue even with some backups on the OL.
LAGNIAPPE
- To say the Saints have Bryce Young's number to this point in his career would be an understatement. To this point in his career he's 1-5 against the Saints and 0-3 in the Superdome. He's completed just 55.2% of his passes for 909 yards and 3 TDs against 4 interceptions. He's been sacked 16 times and has never thrown for more than 171 yards in any of those games. That said, Bryce is well on his way to career highs in yardage (2,197) and touchdowns (16), ranking in the top 10 in both categories. Something's gotta give. If the Saints shut him down again, Bryce might start to develop a complex.
- Expect a longer leash for Jordyn Tyson's workload this week, though I think the leash is definitely still there. Kellen Moore told me there'd be a "healthy dose more" snaps this week, and they'll work toward a point where there's no cap at all. Last week the rookie WR logged 18 snaps and looked effective, albeit with the ugly fumble. I'd expect to see that number over 30 this week. The other big question is how the chemistry between Tyson and QB Tyler Shough develops. I felt like there were a few instances last week where Shough could've found Jordyn, but he's not used to looking for him.
- The last time the Panthers and Saints met up it was something of a coming-out part for Charlie Smyth, who knocked through a 47-yard game-winner. Smyth was 2-for-3 last week and I think he needs a confidence-building game. Hopefully he can channel his inner clutch for some more late-game heroics against Carolina. This is the second of three practice squad elevations for Smyth before the team will have to sign him to the active roster.
- The Panthers rank toward the bottom of the NFL in first half rush yardage, but they're among the league-leaders in second-half rush yardage. Chuba Hubbard seems very much the type of player who gets better throughout the course of the game, it'll be something to watch.
- This will be another game missed for Saints 2nd round pick Christen Miller. He suffered a knee injury in Wednesday's practice. A frustrating rookie season continues for the former Georgia standout.
- Travis and Trevor Etienne will get a chance to square off in this game, the first of what should be several matchups across the NFC South. This will be Travis' first game back since injuring his hamstring in Week 3. Travis Etienne averaged 4.3 yards per carry (30 for 128) prior to the injury.
- One of the reasons the Saints opted to shift Cesar Ruiz to center was that they really liked what they got out of Will Sherman in the jumbo tight end role last week. It's something the Saints had started to work in early in the year but hadn't really gotten to it. Over the bye week they ID'd those packages as a potential boost in the run game, and we definitely saw that against the Browns. Expect to see Sherman on the field moving around the formation in this one, and he obviously also carries value as a potential backup for multiple positions.
- Chase Young and Carl Granderson have already combined for 15.5 sacks on the year, the most by any tandem in the NFL heading into Week 10. The next closest was Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter of the Texans with 13.5. The Panthers have allowed an average of 18 pressures per game, the highest rate in the NFL.
- The Saints lead the NFL with eight "explosive returns," which the team defines as returns of more than 20 yards. It's a big part of why their confidence in return ace Barion Brown hasn't wavered despite the ugly fumble last week.
- Tyler Shough said at least 20 people in the locker room gave him a hard time about some of the less-than-graceful slides last week. He said it's something he'll have to be better at, but it was a product of not wanting to brace his body weight with his injured left hand. It'll be something to keep an eye on this week to see if he has a different strategy. I've personally always felt like the headfirst option is the way to go.
- As frustrating as this season has gone, a win this week would give the team four wins through the first 10 weeks of the season. It took until Week 15 last season to hit that mark. It would also be just the second time in the Kellen Moore era that the Saints found a multi-game win streak.
