For first place in the NFC South, to end the team's seven-game regular-season road losing streak, to continue to show that -- even after a slow start to the season -- the Saints could be a potential playoff sleeper, the Saints had to grab a win vs. the Panthers in Carolina.
They did so, and they did so with their defense, scoring a 28-10 victory on Thursday night.
That has not been the team's strong suit this season, entering the game with a league ranking of 28th with 390.4 yards per game allowed. But against a Panthers squad that showcases Cam Newton playing solid football lately and a potential superstar in rookie receiver Kelvin Benjamin and the return of running back DeAngelo Williams, it wouldn't have been shocking to see this game turn into a shootout.
Instead, the Saints defense clamped down on Carolina, allowing 231 total yards. Even more impressively, New Orleans' much-maligned secondary repeatedly knocked away potential big-play passes to stymie Carolina's attempt to score a repeat of its home victory vs. the Saints in Week 16 of last year that helped secure the Panthers the NFC South title.
That Saints defense needed to be sturdy early Thursday since Drew Brees turned the ball over during the team's first two series. The Panthers could do nothing with those early gifts.
Then, the Saints defense set up the offense for an easy first score when Junior Galette knocked the ball loose from Newton just outside the end zone, and New Orleans recovered the ball on Carolina's 4-yard line. Two plays later, the Saints took a 7-0 lead.
Then, in the second half with New Orleans leading 21-7, the Panthers put together a nice drive that gave them first-and-goal from the 6-yard line. But the Saints sacked Newton for an eight-yard loss, and they forced two-straight incompletions to hold Carolina to a field goal.
After another long Saints touchdown drive, the Panthers chances for a comeback victory were finished. And with the Saints at home for four of the next five games, the same might be said of Carolina's chances to steal back the division crown.
The Saints offense wasn't bad either ...
Especially when it came to putting together extensive drives in the second half to keep Carolina's offense off the field.
After Newton's biggest play of the night -- a 10-yard touchdown run to cut the lead to 14-7 -- the Panthers had the momentum early in the third quarter.
But Brees put together a workmanlike 80-yard drive in which the Saints went for it on fourth-and-one, and he went over the top of the line of to push the ball past the plane of the goal line.
Ugly line of the day
Newton had a rough game, completing 10 of 28 passes for 151 yards and an interception. It was the worst quarterback performance vs. New Orleans all season.
It wasn't all Newton's fault, of course. Though Benjamin was targeted 10 times, he only caught two passes for 18 yards, and Williams did next to nothing, gaining 20 yards on eight carries (Jonathan Stewart contributed 46 yards on eight carries).
Also, Newton didn't have great protection and was sacked four times.
With the loooong stretch
This was Newton's most-impressive play of the game. After Benjamin dropped a touchdown pass on the first series of the second half, Newton tried to get into the end zone by himself.
A ridiculous stretch of the arm later, the Panthers scored their only touchdown of the day.
The turning point of the game
The Saints scored the go-ahead touchdown with 3 seconds to play in the first half, but that wasn't the turning point of the game, because the Saints forced a turnover deep in Panthers territory and the touchdown that ensued was due to a fluky bit of field position.
No, the real turning point occurred with 14 seconds to play in the second quarter when Brees, on a third-and-17, lofted the ball into the end zone to Robert Meachem. It was certainly not a high-percentage pass, but oftentimes in that position, that doesn't really matter.
What matters is if the offense can draw the defensive pass interference.
And in this case, that's exactly what happened.
Cornerback Antoine Cason, playing subpar defense, never turned his head around as the pass was thrown, and he obviously interfered with Meachem. Suddenly, a third-and-17 at the Panthers 33-yard line had become a first-and-goal from the 1-yard line with 6 seconds to play.
Brees then hit Graham for the easy touchdown to complete an 85-yard drive to make it 14-0 at halftime.
Sometimes, to turn the game in your direction, all you need to do is loft that pass and hope Cason commits the DPI.
Said Brees to Tracy Wolfson after the game: "That 2-minute drive at the end of the half was huge as far as momentum."
A tough day, eh?
With starting left tackle Byron Bell struggling with injuries to his knee and elbow, the Panthers were forced to start David Foucault in place of him to protect Newton's blind side.
Though Foucault played well for most of the first half, Galette pushed him back into Newton with about two minutes to play in the first half and allowed Cameron Jordan to get the sack. As you can see here ...
Making matters worse, he allowed back-to-back sacks for Galette and Akiem Hicks late in the game.
So, a tough road during his first start. And if you haven't heard of Foucault, don't worry. You're not alone.
He's an undrafted free agent rookie out of the University of Montreal, and English is not his first language. Hey, welcome to the NFL, rook.
"It's going very fast for me," Foucault said this week, via ESPN.com. "I'm very stressful a little bit. When I came here for my first day, they put me on the practice squad, and in two hours, they put me on the roster, and after two games, I was on the field."
Before Thursday, Foucault had played a total of 61 snaps in the past two games, allowing one sack and two quarterback hurries.
Graham got laid out
It's bad news for the Saints when Brees throws an interception. When he was picked off by Dwan Edwards on the team's game-opening drive, it was even worse news for tight end Jimmy Graham.
Heads up, Jimmy. Thomas Davis is looking to lay a little block on you.
Graham ended up being fine, returning on the next series to hurdle everybody in view.
If it bleeds, it ledes
Nobody makes Newton bleed his own blood. Except for the Panthers, apparently.
Newton apparently had bitten his tongue, which caused the blood.
Newton pubbing the Hornets
The NBA season is starting (apparently), and (apparently) plenty of people are excited. Including the Panthers starting quarterback.
How did he show his love? By wearing these Charlotte Hornets shoes in pregame warmups.
And ...
Better than warm milk
The first half of the game was so dull, Panthers owner Jerry Richardson took a little snooze.
(Not really.)