Things might be starting to improve for the New Orleans Saints after a six-game losing streak.
The Saints are set to get a boost from the return of veteran quarterback Derek Carr, who has been out since Week 5, and they have a chance to get back on track against the struggling Carolina Panthers (1-7) this Sunday.
While the Saints (2-6) don’t look as dominant as they did in their season opener, when they jumped to a 30-0 lead and defeated the Panthers 47-10 at the Superdome, they seem to have an advantage over Carolina.
The Saints are 3-0 against Panthers quarterback Bryce Young and have won the last two games by a total of 59 points.
Saints coach Dennis Allen emphasized that the big win from Week 1 doesn’t matter for this week.
“Zero,” Allen said. “That game was eight weeks ago. It matters what we do this week in practice. It matters what we do in the game.”
The Panthers have not shown much improvement on either side of the field under first-year head coach Dave Canales. Only three teams have allowed more points through eight games in the Super Bowl era, and their offense is near the bottom of the league in most statistics.
Carr, who completed 19 of 23 passes for 200 yards and threw touchdown passes in the first matchup, will aim to take advantage of Carolina’s weak secondary that has given up 17 touchdown passes, which is tied for the most in the league.
However, he is trying to resist the urge to take on too much responsibility in an offense that is eager to break out of its recent slump.
“I am no savior,” Carr said. “I am here to be a great leader and to be a great teammate and do my job to the best of my ability. Do I feel confident in what I can do? Absolutely.”
