The NFC South is currently one of the worst divisions in the NFL as all four teams have a losing record. However, someone has to win the whole thing and this Thursday Night Football matchup could be a crucial game in deciding the outcome as the New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers face off. One of these two teams look poised to take the top spot as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Atlanta Falcons will likely limp their way to the finish line.
The Saints are trying to avoid their eighth straight road loss in the regular season. New Orleans looks poised to change that record after a dominating win over the Green Bay Packers where quarterback Drew Brees threw for 311 yards and Mark Ingram rushed for another 172. The defense forced three turnovers while Aaron Rodgers and company failed to get anything going. New Orleans is 3-4 on the season right now, but the Packers game might be what they needed to get some momentum.
The issue is how non-competitive the Saints have been on the road. The team ranks 29th on the road with just 31.3 points in four road losses this year. Facing a division opponent on the road is not the ideal way to turn that around, although the Panthers have been looking just as bad with a 3-4-1 record.
The x-factor in this game will be the rushing attack of New Orleans. Carolina's rush defense ranks in at 28th while opponents average 5.2 yards per carry. Ingram is coming off a career-high game. He could be critical in this game as Pierre Thomas and Khiry Robinson both sit with injuries.
Carolina is in need of some momentum of their own. The team is finding it hard to score lately, managing just nine points against Seattle. The red zone has been an issue. Against the Seahawks, the Panthers were inside the redzone three times and came away with just six points total. Their 46.2 percent touchdown efficiency ranks just 28th in the league. The Panthers will get their running back tandem back as DeAngelo Williams returns after being out six games.
