Carolina Panthers @ New Orleans Saints: Game Preview

by Dave Cariello on Nov 5, 2009 11:15 AM CST

CAROLINA PANTHERS (3-4) AT NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (7-0)

Series

	PANTHERS	SAINTS
SERIES LEADER	16-12
STREAKS	6 of past 7
COACHES VS. OPP.	Fox: 10-4	Payton: 1-5
LAST WEEK	W 34-21 at Cardinals	W 35-27 vs. Falcons
LAST GAME	12/28/08: Panthers 33 at Saints 31. Carolina K John Kasay kicks game-winning 42-yard FG with 1 second left to give Panthers most wins in franchise history (12).
LAST GAME AT SITE	12/28/08
BROADCAST	FOX (3:05 PM CT): Thom Brennaman, Brian Billick. Westwood One Radio: Howard David, Dan Reeves. SIRIUS: 91 (Car.), 121 (NO). XM: 107 (NO).

Stats

PASSING	Delhomme: 113-191-1,262-5-13-59.3	Brees: 157-230-2,006 (1C)-16 (T1L)-6-107.6 (3L)
RUSHING	D. Williams: 128-619 (3C)-4.8-5 (T3C)	P. Thomas: 70-405-5.8-4
RECEIVING	S. Smith: 30-414-13.8-1	Colston: 36-551-15.3-6 (T2L)
OFFENSE	318.6	428.7 (1L)
TAKE/GIVE	-8	+7 (3C)
DEFENSE	288.1	326.0
SACKS	Peppers: 7 (2C)	Smith: 4.5
INTs	3 tied: 2	Sharper: 7 (T1L)
PUNTING	Baker: 46.8	Morstead (R): 44.2
KICKING	Kasay: 32 (14/14 PAT; 6/9 FG)	Carney: 57 (33/35 PAT; 8/11 FG)

Notes

PANTHERS: QB JAKE DELHOMME is 8-2 vs. NO. Aims for 5th in row vs. NO with 100+ rating. Has 120.3 rating in past 4 meetings. In career as starter (incl. playoffs), when Delhomme has 110+ rating, team is 17-1 (.944)...RB DE ANGELO WILLIAMS rushed for 178 yards in last meeting. Has rushed for 696 yards (139.2 per game) & 6 TDs in past 5 vs. division. Has rushed for 591 yards (118.2 per game) & 8 TDs in past 5 in Nov. Has 23 rush TDs in past 19. Team is 10-0 when he rushes for 110+ yards. RB JONATHAN STEWART aims for 3rd in row vs. NO with TD run. Has 4 TDs in past 4 vs. division & averages 6.0 yards per carry. Rushed for 2 TDs last week...WR STEVE SMITH has 11 catches for 256 yards (128 per game) & TD in past 2 meetings. Since 2005, averages 84.3 rec. yards per game, 2nd most in NFL (min. 50 games). Has 100+ yards in 6 of past 7 vs. NFC South...DE JULIUS PEPPERS had 13-yard INT-TD, sack & FF last week. Has 21.5 sacks in past 21, incl. 6 in past 4. Aims for 3rd in row vs. NO with sack. Rookie S SHERROD MARTIN had 1st 2 INTs of career last week...

SAINTS: Average 39 points per game, most in NFL. Have scored 273 points in 1st 7 games, 4th best in NFL history...QB DREW BREES passed for 386 yards & 4 TDs in last meeting. Since joining NO in 2006, leads NFL with 15,916 pass yards. Has 2+ TD passes in 10 of past 11 vs. division (25 TDs). Has 2,083 yards (347.2 per game), 21 TDs, 4 INTs & 126 rating in past 6 vs. NFC...RB-PR REGGIE BUSH has 28 TDs (16 rush, 8 rec, 4 PR) & is only Saint to score via rush, rec. & PR. Aims for 4th in row with TD. RB PIERRE THOMAS had rush & rec. TD last week. Has 534 scrimmage yards (106.8 per game) & 7 TDs (5 rush, 2 rec.) in past 5 at home...WR MARQUES COLSTON has 10 TDs in past 10 & aims for 4th in row with TD. Has 14 catches for 216 yards (108 per game) in past 2 starts vs. Car. TE JEREMY SHOCKEY has 452 receptions since 2002, 3rd most in NFL among TEs. WR LANCE MOORE had 8 catches for 91 yards & 2 TDs in last meeting...S DARREN SHARPER leads NFL with 317 INT yards & 3 INT-TDs. CB JABARI GREER had 48-yard INT-TD last week. DE WILL SMITH had 2 sacks vs. Atl.

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Comments

wont be close

saints will come out with some new 46 scheme, take the running game out of it by scoring early and often, beat carolina easily.

34-13

by sernycrusher on Nov 5, 2009 12:01 PM CST reply actions

Division Games are closer than they seem

Division games are tuff……………that being said Carolina beat Arizona last week on Kurt Warners 5 INT’s, I doubt Drew Brees will have a 5 INT game so I like our chances in this one. Carolina has a running team I just hope our D can contain that 2 headed monster.

As for predictions go, I do not offer out my predictions after doing so last year when all we needed to do was win a game at the end to be in the wild card hunt!!!

by Saintsfan4life on Nov 5, 2009 12:13 PM CST reply actions

Is a unit vs unit comparison coming such as the one featured on Carolina's blog??

It’s featured here:

http://www.catscratchreader.com/2009/11/4/1114375/carolina-panthers-hump-day

They’re feeling very good about pulling the upset this week given the recent weakness in our running defense.

by TigerPaw on Nov 5, 2009 12:14 PM CST reply actions

On Saturday

I will give you all of carolina’s stats. I compare their offensive rankings to the Saints defensive rankings and vice versa.

Wanna say something? Sign up! It's free!

by Dave Cariello on Nov 5, 2009 2:52 PM CST up reply actions

Trap game for whom...

Mostly for the Panthers I have to say…

They won three of the last four, they suddenly feel good, the poor start was a fluke, some bloggers call 12-4 season now, they have torched us in the last few years, Jake is unbeatable at the Dome…

Humble pie will win the day…

Ubi maior minor cessat

by bondcrash on Nov 5, 2009 3:37 PM CST up reply actions

i just hope

our run D can slow them, I have full confidence in our O squad coming back with whatever they get from rushing (TD’s) BUT i think, as always whomever looses that damn ball the most will surely lose.. and if they get behind they will throw, and lose by even more

I am a jack of all, and master of none

by doublewide on Nov 5, 2009 6:52 PM CST reply actions

PS

their special teams actually suck worse than ours!

I am a jack of all, and master of none

by doublewide on Nov 5, 2009 6:54 PM CST up reply actions

i mean i understand you have a very good offense

but please dont underestimate our defense. its one of the best units in the league. oh and i saw up ^ there that said “recent” weakness against the run. when the heck have yall ever been good against the run? (its a rhetoric question)

by carolinabrave89 on Nov 5, 2009 8:32 PM CST up reply actions

Now

“when the heck have yall ever been good against the run?”

You mean like a couple weeks ago when we were 5th in run D? How about this week when we are good against the run by shutting down those 2 so called running backs the Carolina Kitties have…
They will stack the box and force lil Jakey to throw his int’s just so the Saints can return at least 1 for a td to keep padding the DB’s stats. thanks in advance.

by J Rock on Nov 5, 2009 9:19 PM CST up reply actions

Oh

Have you not noticed that your Carolina Kittens have allowed 38 more points scored on them then what they’ve put up? Great way to win games giving up so many points when you can’t score yourself don’t you think…

by J Rock on Nov 5, 2009 9:24 PM CST reply actions

I think Jonathan Stewart is big like Michael Turner

and could gash us on cutbacks…

Plus, if their Defense rattles Drew and stuffs our running game, then we could be in for a long afternoon…

We’ll see on Sunday!

"In the end, the bread was in the pudding." -- Bobby McCray

by HansDat on Nov 6, 2009 7:01 AM CST reply actions

and for this season to turn out truly great for us

We need to beat the division rivals that traditionally give us trouble – and Carolina is #1 on the list right now.

LET’S DO THIS!!

I think it will be a close game, and if it comes down to the kicking game, it’s gonna be a toss-up. AUGH

"In the end, the bread was in the pudding." -- Bobby McCray

by HansDat on Nov 6, 2009 7:04 AM CST up reply actions

Critical Stat offense and defense

Offense
1. The Pathers during this season are -38 net points on the season
2. The Saints during this season are + 119 net points on the season

3. The saints in comparison to the Carolina have an 157 net point difference
4. The saints on average score 22.4 more points than Carolina each game they play

Defense
1. Points against the pathers this season are 166 this season
2. Points againse the saints this season are 154

3. the Carolina defense has only given up 12 more points compared to the saints
4. Carolina average is less than 2 points compared to the saints

by jeremysherwin on Nov 6, 2009 10:37 AM CST reply actions