The New Orleans Saints face off against Carolina Panthers on “Monday Night Football” with a lot on the line for a Week 2 game. There are a couple of intriguing storylines to watch for that can either impact the matchup or add important context to its result.
First topic to watch: red zone performance on both sides of the ball. Demario Davis and the Saints defense were remarkable in scoring position against the Tennessee Titans. The Titans were able to drive the ball down to the New Orleans 20-yard line, but were never able to score a touchdown.
Buy Saints TicketsThe Saints offense had the same issue, however, until they punched a score in near the end of the game. Pressure often derailed the momentum of Derek Carr and the offense. They must finish drives with touchdowns more consistently. A battle of field goals won’t work in your favor every game.
The second storyline to watch is whether the Saints can win in Week 2. You want to win every week of course, but they’re looking to start 2-0 for the first time since 2013. The Saints have been notorious slow starters over the last decade. They’ve gotten over the season-opener hump, winning their last five Week 1 games.
New Orleans still tends to struggle in the second game, however. They have a 2-8 record in Week 2 over the last 10 seasons. One of those losses recently came to Carolina in 2021. If the Saints hit the field and play with focus and efficiency to win the day, we’ll know they’re a different team than the underperforming squads we’ve seen as of late.
