2024-09-09 10:25:03
With a daunting schedule to come in the next several weeks and facing a Carolina team which won two games a year ago, playing at home, the New Orleans Saints faced as close to a must-win situation as is possible to start a season Sunday at the Caesars Superdome.
Act one of the New Orleans Saints 2024 season was in some fashion, a continuation of the end of the 2023 season.
That season ended with a resounding 48-17 win over Atlanta.
The 2024 season began with a resounding 47-10 win over Carolina.
Both came against division opponents.
There was everything to like about the Atlanta game.
There is everything to like about this Carolina game.
The points scored by the Saints were the most in a season opener in franchise history, eclipsing when the Saints scored 45 against the Lions to open the 2009 season.
The Saints went on to win the Super Bowl that season.
We are not going that far to suggest that the 2024 team is that type of team but for one game, you have to be impressed and enthused if you are a Saints observer.
In the last six games in 2023, Derek Carr played at a very high, if not an elite level, near the top of the league in virtually every quarterback metric.
In those games, the Saints went 4-2 and averaged 28.8 points per game.
That trend continued Sunday.
For just the third time in franchise history, the Saints scored on their first nine possessions of the game. The other two times were in 2011 against the Colts and in 2018 against the Bengals.
Coming into the game, the safety position was the one big question of the defense. Three different safeties came up with turnovers for the Saints.
It was fun to watch.
Here are my Quick takes from the 47-10 victory:
**Inactives for the Saints included A.T. Perry, Khalen Saunders, D’Marco Jackson, Jaylan Ford, Dallin Holker and John Ridgeway III.
**The changes were obvious on offense.
**There was pre-snap movement, motion on most plays. Taysom Hill was used as a pure running back. Committing to the run game was expected and it was apparent from the start.
**Jake Haener was chosen as the backup quarterback with Spencer Rattler designated as the third quarterback. He would get to play late in the game.
**On the opening kickoff a year ago, the Saints fumbled it away. This time, Rashid Shaheed returned it to the 34-yard line but a holding call on Bub Means put the ball at the 24-yard line.
**Alvin Kamara ran right with Taysom Hill in motion for nine yards, going right, on the first play from scrimmage. Hill then carried two yards for a first down on the next play.
**Derek Carr then came through in great fashion. Feeling pressure, he hung tough and calmly delivered a perfect throw on a 59-yard touchdown pass to a streaking Rashid Shaheed to give the Saints a 7-0 lead with 12:08 to play in the first quarter. The drive covered 76 yards in five plays, taking 2:52 off the clock.
THE NEED FOR SHAHEED!
📺 FOX pic.twitter.com/n2sQeJgaa1
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) September 8, 2024
**Shaheed blew past a good cornerback in Jaycee Horn, the son of Saints Hall of Fame inductee Joe Horn. Shaheed’s speed on the opening kickoff and on the touchdown pass was evident and it was elite. It was Carr’s longest completion as a Saint.
**On the first play from scrimmage for Carolina, Bryce Young was picked off by Will Harris on a poor throw, off target. Harris went to the ground to make the play. The pass was intended for Adam Thielen.
FIRST PLAY ON DEFENSE & IT’S A WILL HARRIS INTERCEPTION
📺 FOX pic.twitter.com/CWnDwA3bu3
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) September 8, 2024
**An illegal formation penalty stalled the possession but Blake Grupe nailed a 57-yard field goal to give the Saints a 10-0 lead with 10:04 to play in the opening quarter. It was a pleasant sight, a confidence builder for the second-year kicker. It was the longest of Grupe’s young career.
**Undrafted free agent Mason Tipton was in early for the Saints at wide receiver.
**The Saints then drove 79 yards in 11 plays, taking 5:38 off the clock and Carr, rolling right, could have run it from the 3-yard line but waited, threw across his body to the center-back of the end zone and former Jesuit and LSU star Foster Moreau went up high to catch for a touchdown.
**The pass was high, the only place it could be as the Saints took a commanding 17-0 lead with 1:23 to play in the opening quarter.
Foster Moreau mossing folks
📺 FOX pic.twitter.com/wRc2ZVtnBv
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) September 8, 2024
**The Saints amassed 161 yards in the first quarter to just 31 for the Panthers. The Saints had the ball for 10:20 to just 4:40 for Carolina.
**Kamara had seven carries for 48 yards and Hill had four carries for 28 yards. Carr was 5-of-8 for 85 yards and two touchdowns.
**Alontae Taylor came up with a sack on third down on a corner blitz off the right edge to stop the next Carolina possession.
**The Saints added to the lead with a 44-yard field goal by Grupe to make it 20-0 with 7:03 to play in the first half. The drive, covering 48 yards in nine plays, taking 5:07, was aided by a personal foul on a late hit out-of-bounds on Hill.
**Tyrann Mathieu, a playmaker, then did what he has done throughout his career, forcing a fumble by Jonathan Mingo and recovering it at the Carolina 43-yard line.
Tyrann forces the fumble, SAINTS BALL
📺 FOX pic.twitter.com/7AhnwQwPzF
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) September 8, 2024
**Trevor Penning, who played well overall, committed a holding call to negate a good run by Shaheed.
**The Saints overcame it with a first down but stalled and Grupe came on and nailed a 52-yard field goal to extend the lead to 23-0 with 2:08 to play in the first half.
**Taylor came through again on a corner blitz, this time up the middle, and got his second sack of Young late in the first half.
**Shaheed then broke off a 43-yard punt return to the Carolina 16-yard line.
**Carr went for the immediate kill shot and hit Juwan Johnson with a 16-yard touchdown pass on the next play to give the Saints a 30-0 halftime lead.
Vibez in the Dome >>>>#EasyToCelebrate | @BudLight https://t.co/xM1cXocm0m pic.twitter.com/QtD1XOtMRN
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) September 8, 2024
**The Panthers finally put together a drive and got on the board on the final play of the half on a 43-yard field goal by Eddy Pineiro to make it 30-3 at halftime. The drive covered 45 yards in eight plays, taking the final 1:18 off the clock.
**It was a tremendous half of football in all phases. Grupe nailed three field goals, Shaheed had a huge punt return, Taylor had two sacks, the Saints forced two turnovers and the offense thrived running and throwing the football.
**Carr finished the half 12-of-16 for 121 yards and three touchdowns. Taylor had two sacks. Mathieu and Harris came up with turnovers. Kamara rushed 10 times for 70 yards.
**Further illustrations of Carr’s superior play and play-calling by Kubiak included Carr connecting with seven different receivers and the balance of the offense with 121 yards passing and 109 yards rushing, including Kamara with 10 carries for 70 yards and a team rushing average of 6.1 yards per carry.
**The only negative of the half was starting guard Lucas Patrick suffering a toe injury. Landon Young took over at left guard for him.
**On the first series of the second half, Jordan Howden interception another inaccurate throw by Young at the New Orleans 43-yard line. The pass was intended for Thielen.
Jordan Howden with his first career INT & the Saints third forced turnover today whewwwwww
📺 FOX pic.twitter.com/0QAWGuoKFO
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) September 8, 2024
**A holding call on Taliese Fuaga erased an 11-yard touchdown run by Kamara.
**Then, the Saints took an unnecessary delay-of-game penalty, moving the ball back to the 8-yard line.
**Undaunted, Kamara scored two plays later on a 1-yard run to give New Orleans a 37-3 lead with 8:27 to play in the third quarter. The drive covered 57 yards in nine plays, taking 5:26 to add to the lead.
Handshakes for errrrrrybody@A_kamara6 | 📺 FOX pic.twitter.com/qD6oltrqr9
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) September 8, 2024
**Payton Turner committed a personal foul on the next series and Carolina drove to the New Orleans 3-yard line.
**The Saints got stops on the first three downs before Young scrambled and scored on a 3-yard run that was originally ruled as a lost fumble but upon review, a touchdown was ruled and Carolina cut the New Orleans lead to 37-10 with 4:55 to play in the third quarter. The drive covered 75 yards in eight plays.
**Marshon Lattimore left the game with a hamstring injury, the latest in his series of injuries.
**Kamara went over 100 yards of total offense for the 50th time in his outstanding career.
**New Orleans answered with a drive of 12 plays, 43 yards, taking 6:47 off the clock with Grupe kicking a 39-yard field goal to make it 40-10 with 13:08 to play in the game.
**Taylor picked up his third sack early in the fourth quarter to force a Carolina punt.
**Johnson then blocked a punt, giving the Saints the ball at the Carolina 36-yard line.
**The Saints capitalized as Jamaal Williams scored on a 14-yard run on an incredibly well blocked play on a toss sweep left and the lead was 47-10 with 10:38 to play in the game.
IT’S A TD FOR THE 1ST SWAGG KAZEKAGE@jswaggdaddy | 📺 FOX pic.twitter.com/h5lMy64fsz
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) September 8, 2024
**Moreau left the game in the fourth quarter with a head injury after a nice catch and run and he did not return.
**The Saints and rookie Matthew Hayball did not punt until there was just 4:38 to play in the game. He would punt once more before game’s end.
**Cedric Wilson muffed a punt in the final minute.
**Kamara’s top rushing game in 2024 was 80 yards. Against the Panthers, Kamara rushed 15 times for 83 yards and a touchdown and added five catches for 27 yards.
**Carr finished 19-of-23 for 200 yards (82.6% completions) and three touchdowns for a scintillating Quarterback Rating of 142.5.
Taylor had a big game with three sacks and broke up a pass.
👎 ALONTAE 👎
📺 FOX pic.twitter.com/vIjXDET3Hp
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) September 8, 2024
Another question to be answered was if Grupe would show improvement following a suspect rookie season. He answered that question, at least for one day, in demonstrative fashion.
The concern would be the injuries to Patrick, the oft-injured Lattimore and Moreau.
Next Sunday, the Saints step up in class, traveling to take on the Dallas Cowboys, a good team in a hostile environment.
While today showed promise and marked improvement in several areas, the Saints were expected to win and did.
The Saints proved they could be a better team than a year ago by virtue of this performance but the real proving ground starts in earnest now.
