The Carolina Panthers’ first task next season will be to face a familiar opponent in Week 1 when they visit the New Orleans Saints. In recent years, New Orleans has dominated this particular division rivalry, winning both games last season and 11 of the last 15 meetings overall.
However, the Saints don’t look as strong as they did during the Drew Brees and Sean Payton heydays as the 2024 NFL season begins. Fox Sports’ Colin Cowherd thinks both the Panthers and Atlanta Falcons are undoubtedly better than the Saints this year. Watch.
“I think Dennis Allen will be the first coach to be fired… Atlanta and Carolina are undoubtedly the better teams. No question… I don’t see the necessary power in the offense.”
– Colin Cowherd makes his “bold predictions” for the NFL season pic.twitter.com/1x8yYYbnrf
— Saints Film Room (@SaintsFilmRoom) 20 August 2024
At least on paper, the Falcons are definitely the best team in the NFC South right now. The only thing they were lacking was a reliable quarterback, and they got two key additions in the offseason by signing Kirk Cousins and drafting Michael Penix. Either way, they should get a big improvement over what they’ve seen from Desmond Ridder over the last few seasons.
Carolina’s argument of being “hands down better” than New Orleans isn’t nearly as convincing, but that doesn’t mean Cowherd is wrong. The Saints have a strong defense, but their offense would be much better off letting the more aggressive rookie Spencer Rattler lead the way rather than the hyper-conservative Derek Carr, but knowing head coach Dennis Allen, that seems like a far-fetched scenario. That means their basement production will most likely be high, but their ceiling will remain low. If the Saints stumble, it’s not inconceivable that Allen could be the first coach fired.
The Panthers can help by beating them in Week 1, but currently they are still four points behind.
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