Canal Street Chronicles
New Orleans come out of Week 1 with a big W.
The New Orleans Saints were dominant in Week 1, beating the Carolina Panthers 47-10. Let’s take a look at what and how it happened.
Saints receive the ball first, and immediately come marching in. Running back Alvin Kamara starts the day off with a nine-yard run. Then, Taysom Hill lines up as a tailback and get two yards on his own run. The next play featured enough deception that even the camera person was fooled, although it was only for a one-yard gain. Then, the flood gates opened. On the team's first third down of the game, Derek Carr threw a 59-yard bomb to Rashid Shaheed for a score.
The defense then got an interception on their very first play of the season. Taking advantage of a Bryce Young overthrow, safety Will Harris came away with the ball.
Unfortunately, the Saints were unable to score another touchdown, although they did come away with three points. On a drive that featured Chris Olave’s first catch, another great Alvin Kamara run, and a near miss to Rashid Shaheed, Blake Grupe nailed a 57-yard field goal.
Carolina was able to execute more than one play on their second drive of the game, although it still wouldn’t be much to talk about. Chubba Hubbard had some successful runs on this drive, but that wouldn’t be enough to come away with points. After just five plays, the Panthers offense would have to punt.
On the last full drive of quarter one, the Saints would once again find the end zone. This drive relied heavily on the run game, featuring a total of 59 rushing yards. However, the drive would be capped off by another Derek Carr touchdown pass, this time to TE Foster Moreau. The play was impressive, as it was obviously improvised after Carr’s initial read was covered.
The next drive would start at the end of the first quarter and bleed into the second. Carolina carried out three plays on offense before the end of Q1, one of which was a 14-yard pass from Bryce Young to Adam Thielen.
Carolina was on a roll at that point, until an offensive holding call negated a 14-yard run by Miles Sanders. After that, CB Alontae Taylor would sack Bryce Young for a loss of eight.
New Orleans would come away with three points at the end of their next drive. With the highlight being a 17-yard run by Alvin Kamara, Blake Grupe would cap the drive off with a 44-yard field goal.
The Saints defense would show up once again, causing a fumble in just two plays. Safety Tyrann Mathieu would recover for the defense.
Blake Grupe would once again end the next drive for the Saints, this time on a 52-yard field goal. However, after a three-and-out by the defense, one that featured Alontae Taylor’s second sack, the offense would score in just one play. TE Juwan...
