A few takes from quarterbackDrew Brees'news conference with local media Wednesday:

1. No Josh Normanat cornerback for the Panthers anymore? No big, glaring problem for the Carolina defense, Brees said. "The scheme kind of takes care of itself. They've got a bunch of great players on that defense. They've always done a great job up front with the front seven. Those two linebackers, Thomas Davisand Luke Kuechly, are one of the best tandems in the business now, (and) maybe ever. Those two guys are pretty incredible, just what they do and how they execute the defense and run the defense, get everybody squared away. They're a very smart group, and a high-performing group."

2. The standings don't lie: the defending NFC champion Panthers, winners of 14 straight regular-season games last season, are 1-4 and losers of three straight entering Sunday's game. But they don't tell the whole story, either. "As I analyze them and from what I'm looking at from a defensive perspective, I think they're as good now as they've been," Brees said. "I know that they've had some tough losses, just like we have. But I think we know exactly what they're capable of, and I think we know the mind-set they have coming in this week, needing a win just like we do. There's always a lot at stake, especially with divisional games and especially with the situation that we're in."

3. From the school-of-hard-knocks department, Brees said that despite the Saints' record, he has seen progress. "We're trying to be an ascending team, a team that's getting better and better each and every week. We certainly don't want to take a step back. At times that has not always resulted in a win from these first four weeks, but I feel we like we have gotten better. We have learned, we've grown and I hope to do that again this week and I hope that that results in a win."