4 critical observations from the Panthers success vs. Saints in Week 3
By Luke Gray
What were the critical observations from the Carolina Panthers’ victory against the New Orleans Saints in Week 3?
The Carolina Panthers haven’t been able to win since Week 10 last season when they dominated the Arizona Cardinals during Cam Newton’s sensational return to the tea. That all changed on Sunday with a much-needed success against the New Orleans Saints.
This was far from a pretty game. The defenses for both teams showed out and took control for the most part, which was the clear strength of the NFC South rivals heading into the contest.
New Orleans put up significantly more yardage with 426 yards compared to Carolina’s 293 yards. But unlike previous weeks, the Panthers got stops when it mattered – something we haven’t seen to start the season.
For the offense, it was once again a disjointed performance from Ben McAdoo’s unit. Baker Mayfield struggled to end with a completion percentage below 50 percent once again and passing for just 170 yards, but Christian McCaffrey did manage to secure back-to-back games with more than 100 rushing yards.
Moving forward, it’s positive to see the Panthers’ defense performing to the level expected. However, it’s now vital the offense starts to click for the organization to be complete.
With that being said, here are four critical observations from Carolina’s victory over the Saints at Bank of America Stadium.