We’re beginning to feel like we’re repeating ourselves here at HOMEFIELD ADVANTAGE—The Panthers face the Saints with a powerful one-two running back punch with DeAngelo Williams and rookie Jonathan Stewart. Carolina coach John Fox has gotten back to his defensive coordinator roots by focusing on running the ball and having his quarterback make plays when they count on offense and using an aggressive defense—the result has the Panthers looking as good as they were when they went to the Super Bowl in 2003. How will the Saints look entering this game? Will they come in on a roll or deflated from the toll their injury bug has taken? On a modest one-game winning streak, the Saints finally look to get healthy—Marques Colston and Jeremy Shockey look to return, as if Drew Brees needs more weapons.

Saints Players to Watch: RBs Pierre Thomas and Deuce McAllister. Reggie Bush will continue to catch passes out of the backfield and line up at wideout, but Thomas and Deuce can dominate Panther DTs Darwin Walker and Damione Lewis. In last year’s two games against the Panthers, the trio of Bush, Aaron Stecker and Thomas averaged 76.5 yards, and that paltry output can be easily eclipsed here.

Panthers Players to Watch: WR Steve Smith. Odd as it sounds, considering the Saints’ poor secondary in ’07, the Saints did a good job of protecting themselves against the speedy Steve Smith. Smith had 47 yards receiving in each of the two meetings last year, with just 1 touchdown. Of course, that was accomplished against the Panthers’ QBs from last year, David Carr and Matt Moore, not with this game’s Ex-Saint to Watch.

Ex-Saints to Watch: QB Jake Delhomme. In the Saints’ two losses to the Panthers in 2006, both quarterbacked by this Saints-castoff, Delhomme threw for 376 yards, 4 TDs and no INTs.

HA’s Madden ’09 Result: Saints lose, 24-21.

HA’s Prediction: In the print edition we said the Saints probably weren’t going to go 4-0 in this October stretch, so they would have to drop one somewhere. Saints lose, 24-28. After the events of the past few weeks and the early return of some injured players (we thought Colston and Shockey would be out until next week’s London game), we’re going to now say the Saints will win this one, 34-24. The Saints haven’t won on the road yet this season, and now would be a good time to start that ball rolling.