The New Orleans Saints found themselves in a tight battle Sunday with the Carolina Panthers. With the game coming down to the wire, it was going to take some breaks for the team to pull out a win. However, they were able to catch those breaks. And Wil Lutz hit a field goal as time expired, for a 34-31 Saints win.
The Saints Beat the Panthers at the Buzzer
The Offense Bails Out the Defense
Going against Kyle Allen in the Superdome would make one think the defense would be primed for a good game. That, however, was not the case.
The defense gave up over 5.1 yards per play. They also struggled to stop Christian McCaffrey when it came to all-purpose yards. However, that’s not surprising given nobody has been able to stop him this season.
The other player that New Orleans struggled to deal with was wide receiver, D.J. Moore. The receiver went for six catches, 126 yards and two touchdowns against this New Orleans defense.
With all of that, the Saints’ offense was just slightly better. The offense went for 7.1 yards per play. Between Latavius Murray and Alvin Kamara, the offense ran for 6.6 yards per carry. In the passing game, Drew Brees threw for over 300 yards and three touchdowns on 30/39, while Michael Thomas went for 101 yards on ten catches, and Jared Cook went for 99 yards on six catches.
This was one of the better games the Saints offense has put together this season. It was also very needed because of the poor game from the defense.
Why This Win Was Huge
This win was huge for a couple of reasons. For starters, it gives New Orleans a chance to clinch the NFC South on Thanksgiving against the Falcons.
If New Orleans can clinch the South before December even starts, it will guarantee at least one home playoff game. It will also leave the coaching staff with a lot of time to line things up for the postseason.
The other reason this win was so huge was that the Packers lost to the 49ers. That result put New Orleans into the second seed in the NFC playoff picture.
For that reason, New Orleans needs to continue to win. Having a first-round bye and having to play one less playoff game in the event of reaching the Super Bowl makes a huge difference.
The Saints Beat the Panthers: Overall Thoughts
This was a game the Saints should’ve won, and while it wasn’t easy, they ultimately found a way to win.
So far this season this team has found several different ways to win games, which is a great quality to have as the season reaches the home stretch and then ultimately the postseason.
Next up is a game against the Falcons in Atlanta on Thanksgiving night. It’s another game the Saints should be able to win, however, Atlanta was a team they should’ve beaten the first time at home and that was far from the case.
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Top Photo: Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images
