Saints (11-4) at Panthers (5-10)
Sunday, 4:25 ET, Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte,
N.C.
TV: Fox
Danny Sheridan’s line: Saints by 61⁄
2
Saints’ keys to victory: WIth QB Drew Brees still recovering from significant rib and lung injuries, New Orleans should continue to ride its brutal rushing attack, especially against a Carolina defense that has struggled to stop the run at times this year. Defensively, the Saints need an answer for Panthers WR DJ Moore, who totaled 93 yards and two touchdowns in their meeting earlier this season.
Panthers’ keys to victory: Teddy Bridgewater, 5-0 for the Saints last year while Brees was injured, needs to be more aggressive and avoid the kinds of turnovers that cost his team so dearly in their Week 15 loss to the Green Bay Packers. It would help if he targeted WR Robby Anderson more. On defense, this young group is weakest on the back end. CB Rasul Douglas had a promising start to 2020 but has dropped off significantly in the second half. Douglas and the other corners need to play tighter coverage against WR Emmanuel Sanders and the other Saints passing weapons.
Matchup to watch: Panthers OT Taylor Moton vs. Saints DE Cameron Jordan. Moton may have been snubbed from the Pro Bowl roster, but he’s still arguably the No. 1 right tackle in the NFL. The last time these teams played, he shut down Jordan, who finished with just two tackles.
Who wins? Two years ago Carolina won a Week 17 matchup against the Saints, but Sean Payton rested some key starters. This time, they’re in the hunt for a No. 1 seed, so there’s no hope of a repeat. Saints 34, Panthers 23.