Panthers-Saints brings familiar face back to the Superdome
CAROLINA (3-3) at NEW ORLEANS (3-2)
Sunday, 1 p.m. EDT, Fox
OPENING LINE - Saints by 6 1/2
RECORD VS. SPREAD - Panthers 3-3; Saints 2-3
SERIES RECORD - Saints lead 26-25
LAST MEETING - Saints beat Panthers 42-10, on Dec. 29, 2019, at Carolina
LAST WEEK - Panthers lost to Bears 23-16; Saints had bye, beat Chargers 30-27 on Oct. 12
AP PRO32 RANKING - Panthers No. 19, Saints No. 10
PANTHERS OFFENSE - OVERALL (11), RUSH (16), PASS (9).
PANTHERS DEFENSE - OVERALL (11), RUSH (18), PASS (7).
SAINTS OFFENSE - OVERALL (12), RUSH (18), PASS (12).
SAINTS DEFENSE - OVERALL (8), RUSH (6), PASS (19).
STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES - Panthers QB Teddy Bridgewater makes his first start against the Saints since leaving New Orleans in free agency after last season. Bridgewater went 5-0 as Saints starter last season while Drew Brees was recovering from a thumb injury. ... Bridgewater has passed for 300-plus yards in two of his three road starts this season while running the offense of first-year coordinator Joe Brady, who was an offensive assistant with the Saints in 2017 and 2018. ... Panthers RB Mike Davis had 52 yards rushing and his second TD on the ground of the season last week. Davis has scored rushing or receiving in four straight outings. Since taking over for the injured Christian McCaffrey in Week 3, Davis is tied for first in receptions by a running back with 24... WR Robby Anderson had four catches for 77 yards last week and has 100-plus yards receiving in two of three road games. ... WR D.J. Moore led the Panthers with five receptions for 93 yards in Week 6, giving him 90-plus yards in consecutive games. Moore had at least 80 yards in each of his previous two games against New Orleans. ... DE Brian Burns has a sack in each of his past two games against the Saints. ... DT Derrick Brown leads all rookies with six tackles for loss. ... CB Donte Jackson, who played for LSU, has nine career interceptions, most of anyone from the 2018 draft class. ... Rookie S Jeremy Chinn had his first-career interception last week and leads all rookies with 48 tackles. ... The Saints have won six of the last seven meetings. ... Saints WR Michael Thomas has been ruled out for a fifth straight game after injuring his hamstring this week. He had been expected to return from a Week 1 ankle injury and one-game Week 5 team suspension stemming from practice outburst. Thomas was the AP Offensive Player of the Year in 2019 after setting an NFL single-season record with 159 catches, and he was an All-Pro the past two seasons. ... WR Emmanuel Sanders also is out after testing positive for COVID-19. ... Brees passed for 325 yards with one TD passing and another rushing in Week 5. In 13 career home games vs. Carolina as Saints QB, Brees has 3,949 yards passing (303.8 per game) and 31 TDs with 10 interceptions for a 102.1 rating. Brees has at least three TDs passing in each of his last two games against Carolina. ... RB Alvin Kamara had eight catches and 119 scrimmage yards (74 receiving, 45 rushing) in Week 5. Kamara ranks second in the NFL with 676 scrimmage yards and his seven total TDs tie for first. ... WR Emmanuel Sanders had a career-high 12 receptions for 122 yards in Week 5, his 22nd career 100-yard game. ... TE Jared Cook had a 41-yard TD catch in Week 5. It was his second TD this season and his second catch of more than 40 yards. ... DE Cameron Jordan had a season-high 10 tackles in Saints' last game, along with half a sack. DE Trey Hendrickson had 1 1/2 sacks, giving him a sack in four of his five games this season. ... LB Demario Davis had season-high 10 tackles in Week 5. ... Fantasy tip: With just three catches for 17 yards and no TDs in his lone game this season, Thomas is due for a big day if he returns as expected to the Saints' lineup. Otherwise, Sanders' career-high catch total in his previous game is the clearest sign yet of his improving chemistry with Brees. Sanders also has TDs in two of the Saints' three home games this season.
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