5 questions with Canal Street Chronicles

The Carolina Panthers, who are currently in first place in the NFC South, have a tough gauntlet ahead of them if they want to make the playoffs this year. That gauntlet starts with not-to-be-overlooked New Orleans Saints. Never mind their 3-10 record. They are a team with a surprisingly talented young quarterback, Tyler Shough, who is being guided by one of the better offensive minds in football today in head coach Kellen Moore. Their defense has quietly become one of the better defenses in the league over the last few weeks.

Are they eliminated from the playoffs? Yes. Would they be happy to spoil the Panthers season just for kicks? Also yes. Here to answer some questions about this weird opponent is Nic Jennings from Canal Street Chronicles. Read on to see how Saints fans see their team and this matchup in Week 15.

So, Tyler Shough. Are you a believer?

Absolutely. Tyler Shough has shown more than enough promise to have fans excited for his future development. After beating the top two teams in the division on the road, while also making some remarkably difficult throws and escaping the pocket to extend plays with his legs, Shough has taken the media by storm.

Obviously, there’s still plenty of room for improvement, but the rookie has at least earned the opportunity to start for the Saints in 2026 and even strengthens my belief that New Orleans should pass on a QB in the upcoming NFL draft.

With Olave and Kamara battling injuries and Shaheed traded away, what does the Saints passing game look like now?

Chris Olave has been playing through back spasms, yet he’s still been a crucial part of the passing game, along with Devaughn Vele, who has really started to break out over the past couple of games and is seemingly building strong chemistry with Tyler Shough. Juwan Johnson also continues to be Shough’s safety blanket and is quietly putting together a career year.

When it comes to stretching the field after the departure of Rashid Shaheed, a guy to watch is Mason Tipton, who is an explosive play waiting to happen. Expect to see a lot of Olave and Vele, but keep an eye on Tipton.

New Orleans has quietly pulled together a monster defense in the last half of the season. What has changed and what is their strength?

I think it just took a little time for Brandon Staley to find his groove in New Orleans. You saw something similar during his time as the Los Angeles Rams’ defensive coordinator.

Another big factor is when Chase Young made his season debut in Week 6. Through eight games, he is tied for the team lead with six sacks and has generated the second-most pressures on the team with 27, while posting an 82.6 pass-rush grade on the season. It has taken a lot of attention away from guys like Carl Granderson and Cam Jordan—with Jordan turning back the clock for four sacks in his last four games. And while Granderson has been in a sack drought, he’s still been productive in the run game.

Y’all helped the Panthers playoff chances last Sunday by upsetting the Bucs. Do New Orleans fans have a favorite horse in the NFC South race?

Absolutely not. But as long as it isn’t the Falcons, the Who Dat Nation can live with it. If anything, there’s been a slight satisfaction in making life harder for the rest of the division. New Orleans might be out of the race, but they can still make sure their division rivals don’t breathe easy.

What’s your prediction for Sunday against the Panthers?

With the confidence Tyler Shough and the defense are playing with right now, I’m hoping New Orleans can make the path to a division title even more difficult for Carolina on Sunday. I’ll take the Saints, 20-14. However, I wouldn’t be surprised to see it go the other way.