Predicting the Final Score of Carolina Panthers vs. New Orleans Saints

The New Orleans Saints had won 19 straight home games with Sean Payton as the coach. That, of course, is in the past tense since the Saints have dropped their last three games in the Superdome. The only silver lining is that all three games were against teams with winning records. Still, it’s hard to imagine the Saints ever losing three in a row at home with Payton and Drew Brees. They will have a good chance to snap the losing streak against the hapless Carolina Panthers.

This will be the second meeting of the year between these teams, with the Saints winning 28-10 in Week 9. Despite their home struggles, the Saints managed to come up with a big road win over the Pittsburgh Steelers last week. The win kept them tied with the Atlanta Falcons atop the lowly NFC South at 5-7. A win over Carolina this Sunday would all but eliminate the Panthers from the division race that the Panthers have somehow stayed in despite not having won a game in two months.

It has been a nightmare season for Carolina after last year’s surprise division title. They have gone from second in scoring defense all the way to 29th. There are a variety of reasons for the drop off, and not all of them are on the defense. The Panthers’ offense hasn’t helped matters. It’s hard to imagine a quarterback in a worse situation than Cam Newton. He is asked to do everything but catch his own passes in Carolina. His talent is undeniable, but it’s also clear that his confidence has been shaken during this season. At this point, the Panthers just need this season to end so they can start bringing in more pieces to put around Newton.

The Saints will have a great opportunity to gain a game on the Falcons this week as Atlanta travels to play the Green Bay Packers on Monday night. Brees should have no problem moving the offense against Carolina. Look for Jimmy Graham, who was held without a catch last week, to have a big game. I expect the Saints to win this game rather easily as the Panthers continue to slide.

Final Score: New Orleans 35, Carolina 13