Well, that was quite the swing in momentum. After riding high in a 38-3 victory over the Green Bay Packers in the season opener, the Saints suffered a 26-7 setback against the Panthers in Carolina on Sunday. Missing several key players on defense and a huge chunk of the coaching staff because of COVID protocols, the Saints have plenty of excuses available for Sunday’s performance. That won’t make the outcome any less disappointing for Sean Payton or the Saints’ fans. The Saints are now 1-1, and Jameis Winston showed Sunday that he hasn’t quite put his inconsistent play in the past after being let go by Tampa Bay after the 2019 season. Winston completed 11 of 22 passes for 111 yards and two interceptions, making some of the same mistakes that led to 88 interceptions over five seasons with the Buccaneers. The Saints struggled to run the ball and Winston finished as the team’s leading rusher with three carries for 19 yards and one TD. Alvin Kamara managed just 5 yards on eight carries as it seemed the Panthers’ defense caught him in the backfield all game long. The Saints’ defense did show improvement in the second half, but that mattered little with the Saints’ offense continuing to scuffle. First-round draft choice Payton Turner got his his first career sack in the fourth quarter as he made a solid contribution, but he was one of the few bright spots for the Saints. There’s absolutely no reason to panic, but it was a loss in the NFC South a year after the Saints swept through the division slate with a record of 6-0. | 