Panthers vs. Saints Preview

The Saints and Panthers meet for their Week 18 season finale on Sunday. While the game won't really mean much, there's still things to watch for.

The Saints regular season finale against the Panthers certainly doesn't have much lustre to it. In reality, the two teams are not playing for anything that will mean much in Week 18. However, New Orleans is still pressing on, citing to finish a goal they had coming out of their bye week - to finish 4-0.

Here's some of the biggest things we're paying close attention to when these two NFC South rivals meet.

What to Watch For

TREVOR PENNING: There's a good chance we see him in a larger role for this game. New Orleans is already without Andrus Peat, and they may also be without Ryan Ramczyk (hip/rest) on Sunday. Penning could play some guard or tackle, although Landon Young may also be over at right tackle. Regardless, Penning could be in for a full game's worth of work for the Saints offense in their season finale. This would be a real intriguing thing to watch out for.

Nov 20, 2022; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Andy Dalton (14) is congratulated by Jameis Winston (2) as he comes off the field in the second half against the Los Angeles Rams at the Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports

CURTAIN CALL: This will undoubtedly be the last time we see some Saints in the black and gold. It's not just the list of free agents we previously looked at, but there's also uncertainty with some major veterans and older players on the roster. New Orleans will have plenty of decisions to make in the offseason, and players like Jameis Winston have a very cloudy future with the club. You can't automatically assume that some of the aging veterans are safe with the team, because this is the NFL and anything can happen, but it will be a fascinating offseason to see how the team navigates things.

ROOKIE FINISH: Chris Olave sits at 982 yards receiving this season, so getting into the 1,000-yard club is obviously a big deal. Unless he has a monster game, Michael Thomas' 2016 record of 1,137 yards should hold up.

DOLLAR BILLS: There's money to be made for some of the players that are tied to their contract incentives. Here's a look at who all is looking to cash in at the end of the year and those who already have.

• Andy Dalton - He'll earn two separate incentives of $500,000 each for his playing time. The $1 million bonus is tied to appearing in at least 50% and 65% of the team's snaps. 
• Demario Davis - If Davis can recover a fumble against the Panthers, he'll pick up an extra $250,000. By being named to the Pro Bowl, he earned a $500,000 incentive. He also picked up an extra $250,000 after getting to one pick and four sacks.
• Cam Jordan - Jordan's sack performance last week put him over 18 sacks for the past two seasons, which triggered a $500,000 bonus.

FINISHING STRONG ON DEFENSE: The Saints defense has played extremely well overall during the back half of the year. They've gone seven straight games with allowing 20 points or less to the opposition. Also, they're quietly in the Top-5 (tied for 5th) in total sacks. Their 46 sacks on the year rivals last year's output with a full game to go. Over the past five seasons, they're averaging just over 47 each season.

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