The New Orleans Saints won their first game with quarterback in Week 1, where the team escaped with a narrow 16-15 victory over the Tennessee Titans. Given how close the game was, the fans were hoping that their next game would be less stressful and not create unnecessary drama.
In Week 2, the Saints faced their first NFC South foe of the season in the Carolina Panthers, led by rookie quarterback and No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young.
On Monday night, the Saints picked up the 20-17 victory over the Panthers. Don't let the score scare you, as the momentum was in New Orleans' corner for the majority of the game. The Saints took a 20-9 lead into the final stretch of the fourth quarter, with the Panthers scoring a garbage-time touchdown.
With the Saints now 2-0, let's take a look at who thrived for the Saints, and one group on the team that really has to step up.
Tony Jones Jr. steps up after Jamaal Williams injury
The Saints running game was always an area of concern for the first three weeks of the season. Alvin Kamara is serving a three-game suspension for violating the league's personal conduct policy. With that, the team would need their running backs to step up in his absence.
Early in the game, Jamaal Williams, who the team signed this offseason, was taken out due to a hamstring injury. While being designated questionable to return, Williams was out for the remainder of the game.
Fourth-year running back Tony Jones stepped up in Williams' absence. While yes, he did pick up just 34 yards on 12 carries, that's not the most important statistic. Look a little over from the rushing yardage on the stat sheet and you will see two rushing touchdowns. Both of those scores came on two-yard runs, one of which broke a 6-6 tie and the other extending New Orleans' lead to 20-9.
With there being uncertainty regarding Williams' hamstring injury, the Saints can take solace in the fact that they have a running back who can find the end zone in Jones. Plus, Taysom Hill stepped up with 75 rushing yards on nine carries.
Michael Thomas has still got it for the Saints
Michael Thomas was a machine in his prime with the New Orleans Saints. However, his career stalled out for the past couple of years due to a variety of injuries. With that, NFL fans had to be wondering if he still had it, as he was ready to go this season.
Last week, Thomas caught five-of-eight targets for 61 yards, with his longest of the day logging in at 25-yards. A promising start to the season. Sure enough, Thomas had another solid showing this season against the Carolina Panthers on Monday night.
Early on in the second quarter, quarterback Derek Carr heaved a pass to Thomas along the right sidelines. Thomas leaped over Panthers cornerback Donte Jackson, hauled in the pass, and was able to keep his right foot and backside in bounds for a 19-yard gain.
On the night, Thomas hauled in seven of his nine targets for 55 yards.
All-in-all, it was a good night for the Saints receivers. Once quarterback Derek Carr and other aspects of the offense come together, they could become a dangerous team down the stretch. Thomas showed that when he's healthy, he's capable of making some big catches.
Saints offensive line is still an area of concern
If there is one area that is a concern for the New Orleans Saints, it is the offensive line. On Monday night, it was far from the perfect day for the starting lineup, whether it was left tackle Trevor Penning or guard Cesar Ruiz.
Quarterback Derek Carr was sacked four times by the Panthers for a loss of 29 yards. Two of those sacks came from seventh-year linebacker Frankie Luvu, who feasted against the Saints front five. In the first quarter, with the five Saints linemen caught up with four defenders, Luvu swarmed past all of them from the left side of the line of scrimmage to sack Carr.
Late in the second quarter, Luvu powered past Saints guard Ruiz to get to Carr for his second sack of the game. Not just the game but the first half.
The Panthers' defense recorded six quarterback hits and six tackles for loss against the Saints' offensive line. This comes one week after the Tennessee Titans recorded four sacks, seven tackles for loss, and eight quarterback hits,
Look, it is still early on in the season, so there's time for the offensive line to jell together. But with the Atlanta Falcons and Tampa Bay Buccaneers also sitting at 2-0 on the year, Saints fans would like them to figure things out and play at a high level. After all, keeping Carr upright will help lead them to easier and less stressful victories.
