The Saints finished the preseason in a peculiar position. They showed very little to be excited about on offense outside of rookie 5th-rounder Spencer Rattler (despite only completing 52.6% of his passes). Preseason isn’t always the best indicator of success, but it can help fans set expectations for the regular season. The Saints scored five touchdowns over the preseason, finishing with a record of 1-2. They matched that number in their dominant Week 1 victory over the Panthers while setting a franchise record of 47 points scored in a season opener. Here are three performances that stood out in the Saints’ defeat of the Panthers.
New Orleans Saints Defeat Division Rival In Dominant Performance
Superstar Running Back Turns Back the Clock
Alvin Kamara has been getting a lot of attention since he left mandatory minicamp early and recently put his house up for sale. Despite these “distractions,” Kamara has remained committed to returning to New Orleans and finishing his career with the team. Kamara’s skillset matches perfectly with new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak’s system, and it showed. He started the 2024 season strongly, with 20 touches, 110 scrimmage yards, and a touchdown. This marked his 50th career game with 100 scrimmage yards. The veteran back looked explosive and spry while playing a vital role in the Saints’ defeat of the Panthers.
Electric Slot Corner
In 2023, Taylor entered his second season in the NFL and was very inconsistent with his transition to slot corner. He was targeted a total of 81 targets while lined up in the slot but tied for the league lead with 11 pass breakups while in man coverage according to NFL Pro. Taylor enters his second year in the slot with an abundance of confidence, as shown in his Week 1 performance. The defense did not fall short of many dominant performances in their blowout victory over the Panthers. No performance stood out more than nickel corner Alontae Taylor. He paced the Saints with a total of six tackles and three sacks. Taylor made Saints history by becoming the first defensive back to record three sacks in a single game.
Efficiency Clinic for Criticized Quarterback
As the 2024 NFL season kicks off, quarterback Derek Carr enters his 11th season, second with New Orleans. Carr dealt with much adversity in his first season in New Orleans, including multiple injuries and a lot of fan criticism. His inconsistent 2023 ended with a 9-8 record and missing the playoffs. Carr has always been viewed as an average quarterback that teams can win with, but not because of. Despite being in the league for over a decade, he is 0-1 in the playoffs. Carr and the offense came out swinging in Week 1 while entering into Saints fans’ good graces. Carr had an extremely efficient performance leading the offense. He finished Week 1 with an 82.6 completion percentage, 200 yards passing, and three touchdowns. Carr averaged a healthy 8.7 yards per attempt with a long touchdown of 59 yards to Shaheed in the first quarter. At least for the week, Carr has quieted the Rattler hype.
