Game Balls: Saints Declaw Panthers In Season Opener

The most criticized members of the Saints may have been the most impressive during a Week 1 demolition of Carolina.

New Orleans Saints tight end Foster Moreau (87) catches a touchdown pass against the Carolina Panthers / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

The New Orleans Saints got their 2024-25 season off to a resounding start with a 47-10 thrashing of division rival Carolina Panthers. It was the third straight season-opening win under Dennis Allen and sixth straight victory to open a year for the Saints, an NFL-best.

The outcome of this one was not in any doubt from the start.
New Orleans struck first with Derek Carr hitting Rashid Shaheed for a 59-yard touchdown pass on their opening drive. Carolina responded with QB Bryce Young throwing an interception to Saints S Will Harris on their opening possession.

The Saints turned that opportunity into a field goal and scored on all six of their first half possessions. The defense did their part, suffocating the Panthers by holding them to without a first down until late into the second quarter and just 74 first half yards while forcing three turnovers on the day.

By halftime, the Saints held a 30-3 advantage. It was a 37-10 score by the end of the third quarter, allowing the Saints to sit most of their starters for the final handful of drives in the game. You'd think that such an outcome would be a result of an offensive explosion. As Lee Corso of ESPN would say: ''Not so fast, my friend''.

Yes, the Saints certainly had a productive day offensively. They scored on their first nine possessions and had 379 yards of total offense, with most of that coming in the first three quarters. This was a dominating performance in every phase, with several standout individuals.

In a win like this, it's hard to limit accolades. For our Game Balls, let's focus on the areas that were the most heavily scrutinized by fans and media alike coming into the year. On this day at least, those areas came up huge.

Offensive Tackles

New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara (41) runs against Carolina Panthers cornerback Jaycee Horn (8) / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Rookie LT Taliese Fuaga and especially RT Trevor Penning were the subject of high anxiety leading into the season opener. Both responded with a terrific outing, as did the entire offensive line. Outside of a few isolated plays, Carolina's defensive front was a non-factor all afternoon.

Derek Carr was sacked just once in the game, and that was when interior protection broke down. He was rarely even hurried from the edge, whether passing from the pocket or on several designed roll outs to Penning's right side.

Alvin Kamara rushed for a game-high 83 yards and averaged seven yards per carry in the first half. Most of that success came on outside pitches, sweeps, or off-tackle plays. Fuaga was particularly impressive as a run blocker.

As a team, the Saints ran for 180 yards on the day, averaged five yards per carry, and were often untouched into the second level of the defense. The performance of their blockers allowed New Orleans to have a balanced attack and dictate the pace of the game.

Derek Carr

New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr (4) calls for the ball from center Erik McCoy (78) against the Carolina Panthers / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Carr completed 19 of 23 passes for 200 yards and threw three touchdown passes. It wasn't a spectacular day statistically, but Carr made key plays in critical moments and maintained perfect control of offensive drives. The Saints scored on all nine of his drives before he was lifted for Jake Haener once the game was well decided.

Carr's first touchdown throw was a perfect deep strike to Shaheed. Even with pressure in his face, he calmly delivered the ball to his receiver in stride. The second scoring throw came on a designed rollout. His first read wasn't there, yet Carr maintained composure and patiently tossed a ball where only TE Foster Moreau could get it for the score. Carr escaped the pocket on his third touchdown and hit Juwan Johnson with a precise strike along the right sideline.

To put an exclamation point on this win, Carr was perfect on all seven of his second half throws. He peppered the Panthers secondary through the intermediate zones while showing decisiveness in his reads. Most importantly, Carr did not throw interceptions and most of his passes hit his receivers in stride or were put in places where only his pass catchers could make a play.

Remember that this is a new offensive concept. It's only Week 1, but Derek Carr showed a firm grasp of the system and an impressive level of comfort to start the year.

Coaching

New Orleans Saints offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak reacts against the Carolina Panthers / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

New Saints offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak called a masterful game. Pre-snap motion and diverse play-calling kept the Panthers on their heels and guessing all afternoon. Moving players like Alvin Kamara, Taysom Hill, and Rashid Shaheed around the formation also kept Carolina off balance.

The Saints were aggressive offensively from the start. However, it was Kubiak's creative play-calling, formations, and sharp execution that was the most noticeable difference from recent years. Perhaps most exciting is the fact that we've only seen a small portion of the playbook that Kubiak is likely to unveil as the season progresses.

Not to be outdone, Dennis Allen and Joe Woods were equally masterful on the defensive side. Good defenses overwhelm inferior teams early and never let them regroup or gain momentum. That's exactly what the Saints did on this day.
Alontae Taylor had three sacks. All came from perfectly designed blitzes from different places along the formation. New Orleans kept Panthers QB Bryce Young uncomfortable all day with aggressive blitzes and imaginative coverage designs.

Young was just 13 of 30 on the day and threw two interceptions. Carolina had no better luck with their running game, with their backs managing just 36 yards and three yards per carry. New Orleans defenders won their individual battles, but Dennis Allen also designed a terrific scheme and maintained aggressiveness throughout the contest.

The Saints put the Panthers on the ropes early with an equally aggressive offense and defense. They didn't let Carolina regroup at any point in the game, showing a killer instinct and finishing mentality that had been lacking with this coaching staff.

Next up for the Saints is a trip to Dallas next week. The Cowboys are coming off their own impressive outing, a 33-17 destruction of the Cleveland Browns on the road. Regardless of the level of opponent the Panthers are, the way New Orleans dominated should give this squad a high level of confidence heading into Week 2.