Saints survive Carolina Panthers, 16 -14

Saints new-old kicker John Carney probably didn't think he would be needed so urgently in a so-called "high-powered" offense, but the only thing high-powered about the New Orleans Saints these days is their kicking game.
Against the fiesty Carolina Panthers squad, the Saints had to scratch and claw to hang on Sunday, 16- 14 as rookie quarterback Jimmy Clausen almost pulled off an upset before regressing badly during his team's final few plays.
For sure, the Saints were undermanned. Actually the Saints are hurtin' bad. Both starting running backs are out. Two safeties are out as well. A hodge-podge of offensive players did what they could but two early turnovers made this game a nail biter.
Drew Brees played a great game, but the Saints receivers, most notably Devery Henderson, couldn't hang on to the easy ones, and when they did they couldn't take the tough shots the Panther defenders gave them without losing the football (Lance Moore).
Still, the Saints had Carney, who hit three huge field goals. In the process, he showed the NFL why a decent kicker -- no matter the age -- is so valuable.
It was ugly, but a win is a win.

Will Panthers Catch Saints Sleeping?

Drew Brees has a sore knee. Pierre Thomas has a shaky ankle. We all know Reggie Bush is out for a while, and yet it's still game on.
The Saints, one week after losing a close one to the Falcons, better pick themselves up off the mat quick. The Carolina Panthers come to town.
While their record is 0-3, New Orleans would be foolish to sleep on a team that has had the best running back tandem in the league for three years now. And the Saints have yet to stop that run attack.
Jonathan Stewart and Deangelo Williams single-handedly almost beat the Saints last year and have spit their season series in recent years.
As for the Panthers, coach John Fox is on the hot seat despite losing his franchise quarterback (who should have been gone a few years ago, but he's a Louisiana boy so I'll go easy on him).
Saints coach Sean Payton is watchful of the Panthers, for good reason.
"You have to pay close attention to the weapons," said Payton in a recent interview. "You have to look closely at their two halfbacks, to the experienced offensive line, Steve Smith. From a defensive perspective you study closely the scheme and what they do. It varies with who's behind center, but most importantly is identifying where the threats are and making sure that you know where those guys are on every play. If Clausen is able to hand off with success,  that changes his job description for the game."