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Unbeaten Saints visit Panthers

Sep 26, 2006 - 9:44 PM New Orleans (3-0) at Carolina (1-2) Sunday 1:00 pm EDT

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina (Ticker) -- After a happy homecoming, the unbeaten New Orleans Saints take their show back on the road when they face the Carolina Panthers in a battle of NFC South rivals on Sunday.

The Saints returned to the Louisiana Superdome for the first time in more than a year last Monday and rolled to an emotional 23-3 win over Atlanta.

Just over a year ago, the Saints were forced from their home by Hurricane Katrina - the deadliest storm in American history that left the Gulf Coast region in ruin and damaged the Superdome.

The first game for the Saints after the storm was here in Carolina and John Carney's 47-yard field goal with three seconds left lifted them to a 23-20 victory. Deuce McAllister rushed for two touchdowns.

However, the Saints could only ride that emotion for only so long. The difficulty of having to play their home games at San Antonio and Louisiana State, along with one at Giants Stadium, was too much to overcome in a 3-13 campaign.

Under new coach Sean Payton and with the additions of quarterback Drew Brees and Heisman Trophy-winning running back Reggie Bush, the Saints already have matched that win total.

They opened the season with wins at Cleveland and Green Bay before making a triumphant return to the Superdome, which had 70 percent of its roof damaged during Hurricane Katrina.

Following an emotional pregame ceremony, the Saints sent the sellout crowd into a frenzy just 90 seconds into the game when Steve Gleason blocked a punt and Curtis Deloatch recovered in the end zone for a touchdown.

Fans also got to celebrate the Superdome debut of Bush, the second pick in April's draft. He carried 13 times for 53 yards and had four catches for 19 yards.

Carney kicked three field goals and the Saints limited Atlanta's No. 1 rushing offense to 117 yards on the ground and sacked Michael Vick five times.

Now the Saints must contend with the Panthers, who are a different team with Pro Bowl wide receiver Steve Smith in the lineup.

Carolina scored a total of 19 points in its first two games without Smith, who was nursing two sore hamstrings. But Smith returned last week and caught seven passes for 112 yards in the Panthers' 26-24 win at Tampa Bay. Last season, Smith led the league with 103 receptions for 1,563 yards.

Smith's return was especially advantageous to Keyshawn Johnson, who caught seven passes for 97 yards, including a 31-yard touchdown, in the win at Tampa Bay. Johnson also scored on a four-yard end around. But the hero was John Kasay, who kicked four field goals, including the winning 46-yarder with two seconds left. His other field goals were from 51, 50 and 49 yards.

Smith caught a 15-yard touchdown pass and scored on a 20-yard run in the Panthers' 27-10 win over the Saints at Baton Rouge last December.

Mike McKenzie, New Orleans' best cover corner, and Fred Thomas will match up against Smith and Johnson on Sunday.

Brees has given the Saints a steady hand at quarterback and a major upgrade over erratic Aaron Brooks, who was released by New Orleans in the offseason.

Brees was 20-of-28 for 191 yards without a turnover in the win over Atlanta.

Along with Bush, McAllister and receiver Joe Horn, Brees has effectively utilized rookie Marques Colston, who had seven catches for 97 yards on Monday. Colston is a seventh-round pick out of Hofstra.

Carolina end Julius Peppers is second in the NFC with four sacks. Defensive tackle Brian Young of New Orleans has 3 1/2 sacks.