Game Balls From The Saints Monday Night Win at Carolina

The New Orleans Saints improved to 2-0 with a 20-17 Monday night road victory over the Carolina Panthers. For the most part, the game was a defensive slugfest. Both units contained the run, harassed opposing passers, and delivered jarring hits that could be heard well into the stands of Bank of America Stadium.

The New Orleans running game showed some life after anemic production last week. Their offensive line got some push on the inside, finishing with 134 yards on the ground. Tony Jones Jr. stepped in for an injured Jamaal Williams (hamstring) in the second half and reached the end zone twice. Taysom Hill fueled the ground attack with a game-high 75 yards on nine attempts.

New Orleans still had major issues with pass protection. Second-year LT Trevor Penning was slightly better than Week 1, but the Panthers often flushed QB Derek Carr with inside pressure. On the right side, T Ryan Ramczyk and G Cesar Ruiz were human turnstiles for Carolina rushers, who sacked Carr four times and registered countless pressures.

Carr threw for 228 yards, but also tossed an interception and wasn't nearly as accurate as he was the week before. Wideouts Chris Olave, Michael Thomas, and Rashid Shaheed were again the offensive standouts. Olave led all receivers with 86 yards on six catches. Shaheed (4-63) was again responsible for huge plays down the stretch, while Thomas pulled in a game-high seven passes for 55 yards.

While the New Orleans receivers made key plays in the win, there was no doubt who earned the top star in this Monday night victory.

Saints Defense

It's only two weeks into the year, but the Saints are staking a strong claim as one of the league's elite defenses. After not giving up a touchdown in Week 1, New Orleans held Carolina out of the end zone until 1:21 remained in this game.

The Panthers managed only 239 total yards and 14 first downs, with 75 of those coming on a desperate final drive. New Orleans forced four three-and-outs and held Carolina to just 4 of 14 on third downs. They held the Panthers to just a field goal on one drive that started in New Orleans territory. On another, after a Derek Carr interception, the Saints got the ball right back by forcing a turnover of their own.

Panthers QB Bryce Young was under heavy duress all night. The Saints held this year's first overall draft pick to only 153 yards passing, nearly intercepting him twice, sacking him four times, registering nine QB hits, and double-digit pressure totals. Young lost one fumble on a sack by Carl Granderson. Another fumble on a sack by Bryan Bresee was overturned by a questionable defensive penalty.

Carl Granderson was the biggest star on a unit filled with standouts against the Panthers. Granderson was officially credited with one sack and a tackle for loss. He also added six pressures as he spent the entire evening in the Carolina backfield.

Outside of two broken play scrambles from Young that totaled 34 yards, the Saints held Carolina to only 66 yards on the ground. New Orleans defensive tackles Bresee, Nathan Shepherd, and Khalen Saunders got excellent interior penetration throughout the game, with Shepherd recording his first sack of the year.

Cam Jordan was nearly as disruptive as Granderson, crashing down on runners and adding four pressures on Young. Demario Davis and Marcus Maye each had a sack as the defense descended on the Panthers backfield from every direction.

Linebackers Davis, Pete Werner, and S Marcus Maye were flying all over the field throughout the game. The three had seven tackles each, making several key open field stops for short gains. All three delivered thundering hits that fired up an already motivated defensive squad.

In the secondary, cornerbacks Marshon Lattimore, Paulson Adebo, and Alontae Taylor again provided superb coverage. They were only credited with two passes broken up, but often left Young nowhere to go with the football when he did have time to survey the field. Carolina wideouts Adam Thielen, Johnathan Mingo, and DJ Chark had only 95 combined receiving yards and one catch over 15 yards.

The Saints have now held opponents to 20 points or less for a franchise record 10 consecutive games. That breaks a tie with the famed Dome Patrol unit of 1991.

New Orleans has shown flashes of nice potential offensively, but still has some work to do. The Saints defense, on the other hand, is a suffocating unit that's been primarily responsible for the team's 2-0 start.