What we learned from Saints vs. Panthers

There isn’t much left to learn about the New Orleans Saints after they lost their seventh straight. The team is who they are and will finish the season the same way they have in the past two months.

Chris Olave
Chris Olave suffered his fourth concussion in the NFL on Sunday after an unnecessary roughness penalty from veteran safety Xavier Woods. Olave, who was set for a breakout season, has already dealt with a concussion this season and had a scare last week against the Los Angeles Chargers. The amount of head injuries suffered by the young receiver in such a short span is a cause for concern. Earlier this week, Olave was considering wearing the guardian cap, but he opted not to. While the guardian cap can’t prevent all head injuries, similarly to a seatbelt, it can help. After suffering his fifth concussion in football dating back to his time in college, Olave should reconsider wearing the cap.

Chris Olave head injury history

Ohio State
2020: Concussion

Saints
2022: Concussion

2023: Concussion

2024:
Oct. 13 Concussion vs. Bucs
Oct. 27: Evaluated for concussion vs. Chargers
Nov. 3: Concussion vs. Panthers (taken to Charlotte hospital)

— Rod Walker (@RodWalkerNola) November 3, 2024

No depth on the offense
The Saints’ offense’s lack of depth was glaring during the loss. Running back Alvin Kamara had 35 touches in the loss, accounting for 215 yards. The next closest player was Taysom Hill, with 60 total yards. With New Orleans’ injury history, roster building needs to start revolving around better depth. Wide receiver Chris Olave left during the first drive due to injury and Rashid Shaheed is out for the season. Running backs Jamaal Williams and Kendre Miller were also both out, calling for Kamara to get a heavy load. The Saints are one Alvin Kamara injury away from having a better chance of punting the ball on 1st & 10 and the extreme lack of depth and constant injuries are the cause.

Derek Carr wasn’t ready to come back
Derek Carr struggled to throw the football against a poor Panthers defense. His passes lacked zip and multiple balls hit the ground before the receiver had a chance to bring it in. Despite the offense scoring more points against Carolina than they have in the last two weeks with Spencer Rattler at quarterback, the opportunity to give second-year quarterback Jake Haener a chance to make his first career start may have been more favorable.

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