The New Orleans Saints demolished the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, closing out the regular season with a 13-3 record and their seventh consecutive win on the road. It’s just the fourth time in 52 years the Saints have won 13 games in a single season, joining the 2009, 2011, and 2018 seasons as the best regular season campaigns in Saints history.
New Orleans was unstoppable in every phase of the game, gaining 379 yards on offense while creating three turnovers on defense and limiting the Panthers to 29 yards gained on special teams. Jared Cook led the team with 60 receiving yards, catching both of his targets. Latavius Murray and Alvin Kamara combined for 100 rushing yards on 25 attempts. Drew Brees was an effective 19-of-30 for 253 passing yards and three touchdown throws, avoiding even a single sack.
The Saints handled their business in Charlotte, but the work is hardly finished. All eyes now look towards the playoffs, where the Saints must hope for the Seattle Seahawks to upset the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday night. The Detroit Lions nearly defeated the Green Bay Packers, which would have clinched a first-round bye for the Saints, but Detroit’s injury-ravaged roster couldn’t pull it off. While the Saints may not have home-field advantage through the playoffs, they do have one of the NFL’s best records on the road over the last three years. This team can beat anyone, anywhere.
