Saints vs Panthers Game Day Thread

SmashMouth · 12-29-2019, 09:33 AM

Don't tell Sean Payton the Saints' chances of earning a first-round bye in the NFC playoffs are a long shot.

New Orleans' 13th-year coach said his team if preparing to go all out Sunday to beat the Carolina Panthers in the regular-season finale, knowing full well his team still needs some help to earn a bye. That means Payton is planning to play New Orleans' most prominent players as he normally would.

The New Orleans Saints (12-3) are already NFC South champs for a third straight season and cannot finish any lower than the third seed. But New Orleans wants a first-round bye and could get it with a win, combined with a failure to win by either the Packers, who visit Detroit, or 49ers, who visit Seattle in what also will decide the NFC West champ.

Drew Brees said the Saints view the possibility of a bye as important not only because it would secure a home game in the second round of the playoffs, but also because "you just don't have to play an additional game and have the exposure from that.”

The Saints even could earn the No. 1 overall seed in the NFC, but that would require a win over Carolina and losses or ties by both the 49ers and Packers.

If the Saints lose, they still could get the No. 2 seed, but only if Green Bay wins and San Francisco loses.

When: Sunday at noon

How to Watch: FOX

How to Listen: WWL 870AM and 105.3AM in the New Orleans Market OTA, Streaming via TuneIn Live and NFL radio.

Regular season series record: Saints and Panthers tied, 25-25

Last meeting: 2019; Saints 34, Panthers 31

When: Sunday, Dec. 29 (Noon CT)

Panthers in 2019: (5-10), lost last 7 games.

NUMBERS TO KNOW

2: If the Saints commit two or less turnovers on Sunday, they'll break (or tie) the NFL's record for fewest turnovers in a season.
37: Number of return yards Deonte Harris needs to hit 1,000 combined return yards.
39: Number of attempts Drew Brees needs to set the all-time passing attempts record.
74.4: That's Drew Brees' current NFL record for single-season completion percentage. He's coming into this game at 75.3%, which would break his record again.

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