Staff picks: Final score, bold predictions for Saints vs. Panthers
Week 9 is nearly upon us, so what does it have in store for the New Orleans Saints? The 2-6 Saints are making the trip to face the 1-7 Carolina Panthers in Charlotte, and if they can't snap their losing streak here, it may not end at all. The stakes are as high as they've ever been during Dennis Allen's three years as their head coach.
With that in mind, here are our staff picks for this week's final score and bold predictions going into Saints-Panthers:
The Saints have had quite a bad start to the season, that’s no doubt. The first two games they played and won handily came against the Carolina Panthers and Dallas Cowboys, and now in Week 9 they face the prior once again. This time however, they will be without Erik McCoy, as well as quite a few others, which clearly has diminished the offensive production of the Saints as of late. Now on a 6-game losing streak, why not break it with a tie, as they did their 8-game losing streak back in 1972 when they last had a tie. Neither team has shown pretty much anything to be excited about, and with both vying for a top pick, it’s hard to say who would come out on top here. Saints 20, Panthers 20. -- Jeremy Trottier
Coming into Week 9, the Saints are in the midst of a free fall as they’ve now lost 6 straight games since starting 2-0 this season. Last week with maybe the healthiest roster they’ve had since Week 4-5, the defense stepped up in a major way holding the Chargers top rushing attack all afternoon, minus a big Justin Herbert run that skewed the numbers. However, with the team’s inability to score on offense, the defense broke down a bit in the end. Which brings me to this team's last hope which is the return of quarterback Derek Carr, who will look to make this offense competent again. If Carr can help this team generate some offense and the defense can hunker down once again, the Saints should finally be able to end this losing streak against their division rival Panthers. Saints 24, Panthers 10. -- Luke Loffredo
This is a game the Saints should win, simple and plain. The Panthers are one of the worst teams in football. They’re back to Bryce Young as their quarterback, but Dave Canales clearly has no trust in his young quarterback. This should be a game where New Orleans gets right for at least a week. If it isn’t, we should be beyond the point of conversation. Bold prediction: Saints get 3 sacks. Saints 27, Panthers 10. -- Darrion Gray
This game looks gnarly. Sure, the Saints are getting Derek Carr back in the lineup, but they're still getting hammered with injuries -- and so are the Panthers. This won't be blowout win New Orleans enjoyed back in Week 1, but they should have enough firepower to outscore the Panthers and end their losing streak with a win in Carolina. My bold prediction? Even with three of their top four cornerbacks out, the Saints still won't allow a touchdown pass to be thrown against them. Bryce Young just isn't that guy. Saints 22, Panthers 10. -- John Sigler
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This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Staff picks: Final score, bold predictions for Saints vs. Panthers
