By Ross Jackson
CHARLOTTE, NC — In a game that feels like it should have been a runaway for the New Orleans Saints, things are a little too close for comfort against the Carolina Panthers. The Saints lead, 13-10 at the break.
The most important moment of this game thus far centers around wide receiver Chris Olave. The third-year wideout took a scary hit that resulted in his being unconscious on the field and eventually carted off on a backboard after being tended to by medical staff for several minutes.
Olave has been taken to a local hospital for further evaluation and is ruled out with his second concussion of the season.
You could feel the energy change in Back of America Stadium after the hit by Panthers safety Xavier Woods, and understandably so. After Olave was carted off, the teams resumed play as the Saints extended their 3-0 lead over Carolina with another field goal.
As the game continued on, Carolina was given a short field on a 30-yard punt which eventually turned into a 3-yard touchdown strike from Panthers quarterback Bryce Young to rookie wideout Xavier Leggette. However, the drive was made by an 18-yard catch-and-run.
New Orleans was able to match that score with a nine-play, 68-yard touchdown drive capped off by a seven-yard touchdown run by tight end Taysom Hill from the wildcat.
The drive was built off of the production in the run game, which has been the Saints’ most reliable weapon so far in this game where only three wide receivers remain available and healthy on the active game day roster. Wideout Cedrick Wilson Jr. sustained a shoulder injury and his return is questionable.
The Saints got another shot with 1:42 left in the first half to extend their lead. The short-handed offense instead went three-and-out on a run for negative yards, a drop by Hill and an incomplete pass to wideout Mason Tipton. On the ensuing punt, linebacker Willie Gay Jr. was flagged for unnecessary roughness, giving the Panthers field position so in their favor that their drive lost two yards and they were still in field goal range. The good try narrowed the scoring gap to 13-10.
The disappointing part about this for the Saints, in addition to the concerning loss of their top wideout, is that this game doesn’t feel like it should be a three-point deficit at halftime. New Orleans is trying to prove something against the NFL’s worst team and instead, they’re barely holding on to a lead.
The team is injured and only added more absences so far this game. But the second half has to be a greater statement from New Orleans. A tight win won’t change the narrative around their present struggle. And even more concerning being in striking distance of a loss, is the potential for major disappointment.
