Panthers’ swarming defense stuffs Saints

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Carolina Panthers had one of those blue-sky afternoons where everything seems possible Sunday, throttling New Orleans 26-7 on the strength of a fearsome defense.

Watching the 2-0 Panthers on Sunday at Bank of America Stadium, you had to think: Yeah, the playoffs are possible for this group.

Quarterback Sam Darnold was very good again (305 yards passing) and the defense was great. The Panthers defense had four sacks — that makes 10 in two games. The Panthers also picked off Jameis Winston twice and managed to make New Orleans running back Alvin Kamara look ordinary.

Yes, the Saints were undermanned, missing seven starters and a slew of assistant coaches due to a combination of injuries and COVID19 protocol. Still, they had smashed Green Bay by 35 points a week ago with Winston

at quarterback, not allowing a single touchdown on defense and not allowing Winston to get sacked.

Carolina took care of all of that in the first quarter and rolled from there. The Panthers have yet to trail this season entering Thursday night’s nationally televised game at Houston.

There was one brief scare Sunday when running back

Christian Mccaffrey left the game and went back to the locker room in the third quarter, but it was only cramping issues. He returned in the fourth quarter.

The Panthers had lost eight of their past nine games against the Saints, so any win over their NFC South rivals would have been significant. But they thoroughly outplayed New Orleans.

Panthers running back Christian Mccaffrey pushes away from Saints linebacker Demario Davis. Mccaffrey rushed for 72 yards and caught five passes for 65 yards.

PHOTOS BY JACOB KUPFERMAN/ASSOCIATED PRESS Panthers defensive end Brian Burns sacks Saints quarterback Jameis Winston during the second half Sunday in Charlotte, N.C.