The New Orleans Saints have been one of the most impressive teams in the NFL this season and they strengthened their chances at winning the NFC South after easily defeating the Carolina Panthers on Sunday night football and the team now has a number of postseason scenarios for clinching the next few weeks, including a berth this weekend with a win over the Rams.
The Saints playoff scenarios are very straightforward, as they can clinch a berth in the postseason but not the division with a win on Sunday against St. Louis and then next week they have another matchup with the Panthers, this time on the road. The team can clinch the NFC South division with a win over the Panthers next Sunday and they still could be in the playoffs if they finish with three straight losses since they already have 10 wins this season. The Saints are in position to win the division and a win this week would solidify that as well.
The team is also still in play for the number two seed, as they can do that with wins in two of the next three games and that would put them in position to get a home game. The team can lose against Carolina and win the other two games and still get the seed, as they have the better record against the NFC and they hold the tie breaker against the Saints. The team can't clinch the South this week based on the fact that the Panthers are playing an AFC team. The Saints position in the playoffs is the main thing up in the air, but it's almost a near certainty that they will make it in.
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Brees torched Carolina's much-vaunted defense with four touchdown passes as the New Orleans Saints routed the Panthers 31-13 to regain control of the NFC South on Sunday.
A week after throwing for just 147 yards in a loss to Seattle, Brees picked the Panthers apart in a dominant performance that saw him pass for 313 yards.
In the process, Brees became the fifth quarterback to reach 50,000 career passing yards. The victory gave New Orleans (10-3) a one-game lead over Carolina (9-4) in the division with the two teams scheduled to meet again on December 22.
The Panthers, who had been on an eight-game winning streak coming into the game, took a 6-0 lead in the first quarter with two Graham Gano field goals, but it was all Brees from there.
The New Orleans quarterback tossed consecutive touchdown passes to Marques Colston in the second quarter and added a five-yard strike to Jimmy Graham for a 21-6 halftime lead.
Brees cooled a little in the second half, where he led New Orleans to a field goal in the third and another passing touchdown to Graham in the fourth, giving the home side a commanding 31-6 advantage.
Colston finished with nine catches for 125 yards for his best game of an up-and-down season.
Carolina quarterback Cam Newton threw for 160 yards and ran for 48, throwing a 17-yard score to Steve Smith late in the fourth.
The Panthers defense came into the game giving up an NFL-best 13.1 points per game but were shredded by the potent Saints.
Instead, it was the New Orleans defense that stepped up, sacking Newton five times.
Carolina coach Ron Rivera lamented his team's inability to capitalize on possession deep in Saints territory.
"In the red zone, you've got to score touchdowns if you're going to beat a team like the Saints," he said.
"When you get to the red zone, you have to score."
(Reuters)
