An NFC South showdown takes place on Sunday when the New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers face off at the Superdome. The winner of this game between the Saints and Panthers, both 3-5, will grab sole possession of first place in the division. Carolina has lost three straight coming in, while the Saints have won two of their last three outings.
New Orleans has struggled on defense most of the season, as the unit enters this game ranked 29th overall. The Saints have been particularly soft against the run, sitting at the bottom of the NFL in that category since season start. In Carolina, they’ll face an offense that ranks 9th overall but with the majority of their success coming through the passing game. Let’s see how Carolina’s running game matches up against the New Orleans defense.
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Panthers running game
▪︎ 102.2 yards per game (23rd)▪︎ 4.3 per carry (12th)▪︎ 7 touchdowns (17th)
Carolina has managed 100 yards rushing in only three of eight games this year, winning two of those contests. They’ve been held to less than 100 rushing yards in all of the last three games, all losses. The Panthers rank just 29th in rushing attempts, revealing a lack of offensive balance.
Sixth-year running back Chuba Hubbard leads the Panthers with 619 yards on the ground and an impressive 4.6 per carry. Hubbard has two 100-yard games in 2026, with three other outings of at least 75 rushing yards. He’s had one 1,000-yard season in his career (2024), with another campaign of over 900 on the ground. Hubbard is the only Carolina player with more than 50 rushing yards or more than 20 attempts.
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Veteran A.J. Dillon is the Panthers’ second leading rusher, but has just 17 runs for 43 yards. Like Hubbard, Dillon is a power runner most effective between the tackles. Second-year back Trevor Etienne, younger brother of Saints back Travis Etienne, is Carolina’s change-of-pace back. Etienne has only 10 rushes for 15 yards.
Carolina is banged up along the offensive line. Tackles Ikem Ekwono (left) and veteran Taylor Moton (right) have missed several games. Rookie first-round pick Monroe Freeling has stepped in at right tackle and has played well. The strength of Carolina’s line is on the inside, where guards Damien Lewis, Robert Hunt, and former New Orleans center Luke Fortner have been a solid trio. Another former Saint, Torricelli Simpkins, is the Panthers’ primary backup on the inside.
Saints run defense
▪︎ 133.9 yards per game (29th)▪︎ 4.5 per carry (25th)▪︎ 11 touchdowns (30th)▪︎ 35 tackles for loss
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Few defenses have been more abysmal against the run than the Saints. Six of eight New Orleans opponents have run for over 100 yards. Four of them have gained more than 145 yards on the ground. However, the Saints have held the Giants and Browns to less than 100 rushing yards in two of their last three games, both wins.
New Orleans has been bullied and manhandled in the trenches consistently. Rookie second-round pick Christen Miller has been a disappointment at defensive tackle and has gotten few reps. That may change with the trade of Davon Godchaux, with Khristian Boyd likely to take over starting duties and Miller perhaps being part of the interior rotation. Colby Wooden has also been a part of the rotation both in the middle and at end. Veteran Cam Jordan has gotten most of his snaps as a down lineman, but is merely a shadow of what he was. Ends Nathan Shepherd and Vernon Broughton simply haven’t gotten the necessary penetration to disrupt plays.
Chase Young and Carl Granderson are having All-Pro seasons on the edge. Each is improved against the run, but is certainly far more important as a pass rusher. Anfernee Jennings will replace Granderson in some short-yardage situations, but there are times when Granderson remains on the field and Jennings will line up as a down lineman.Saints linebackers haven’t been as effective with the defenders in front of them getting so easily pushed around. However, linebacker Kaden Elliss makes a huge difference for this defense now that he’s recovered from a calf injury. The captain and play-caller, Elliss is a strong run defender and instinctive in sideline-to-sideline pursuit.
One can’t say the same about Pete Werner, the running mate for Elliss at linebacker. Werner has always been a coverage liability with poor instincts. This season, Werner has devolved greatly against the run also. Yes, his 65 tackles lead the team, but too often Werner has been woefully out of position against the run or guilty of missed tackles in open space. Coordinator Brandon Staley’s refusal to use second-year linebacker Danny Stutsman in place of Werner more often is astounding.
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Werner is the most egregious example, but far from the only New Orleans defender guilty of poor tackling. Safeties Justin Reid and Jonas Sanker have been abysmal in open space with bad angles or missed tackles that allow runners to gain extra yards with ease. The entire secondary has not been nearly as aggressive or effective against the run as we’ve seen in the past. However, Reid and Sanker are often the defensive backs in the tackle box most responsible for run support, assignments they’ve often been failures at this season.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Saints run defense a major key to Week 10 Panthers clash
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: Sports.yahoo.com
