The New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers know each other very well; the division-rivals face either twice a year in their long-running NFC South rivalry, which the Saints lead 29-26. How big of a factor will that familiarity be on Sunday? Our Saints Wire staff writers each made our final score predictions for Week 3’s kickoff, along with a bold prediction for the game:
Final score: 17-16 Saints
Bold prediction: The New Orleans Saints only have one sack on the season thus far. After playing a contain game against Atlanta Falcons’ quarterback Marcus Mariota and going up against one of the league’s quickest passers in Tom Brady, a pocket passer who holds on to the ball longer like Carolina’s Baker Mayfield is a perfect opponent to bounce back against. One of the biggest factors that has limited the Saints’ pass rush over the last two weeks has been their lack of blitz calls. This isn’t out of the ordinary, blitzing mobile signal callers and Brady is usually a recipe for disaster. This week though, New Orleans will be facing a Panthers front that has struggled with blitz identification and a quarterback who tends to get frantic under pressure. That should allow them to get home. Mayfield has been sacked six times this season already, the Saints will double his season count on Sunday notching six sacks of their own. — Ross Jackson
Final score: 17-10 Saints
Bold prediction: It may not feel bold to say that New Orleans will win this weekend in Charlotte, but doing so while generating four turnovers raises the stakes. The Saints took the ball away twice against the Atlanta Falcons and once against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Look for them to surpass their season total in their Week 3 matchup against the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers have given the ball away on offense and on special teams already this season. Mayfield has thrown an interception and lost a fumble while the Panthers have also lost a fumble in the return game. The Saints have put a focus on generating takeaways by creating contact fumbles this season, and so far have made good on that focus. Meanwhile, they have one of the best secondaries in the NFL with cornerback Paulson Adebo looking like he’s on the mend. Four takeaways against a hapless Panthers offense by a hungry defense looking to help the team redeem itself this weekend will be key to their win. — Maddy…
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