The New Orleans Saints (2-1) will host the Carolina Panthers (0-3) for the back end of the first of a pair of two-game homestands in the 2010 season, as they seek to remain in at least a tie for first place in the NFC South. Kickoff at the Louisiana Superdome is set for Noon on Sunday.
Sunday's game will be broadcast on FOX (WVUE FOX-8 locally) with Kenny Albert handling play-by-play, Daryl Johnston serving as color analyst and Tony Siragusa on the sidelines.
The game can be heard throughout the Gulf Coast on the Saints Radio Network (870 AM or 105.3 FM locally) with Jim Henderson handling play-by-play, Hokie Gajan serving as color analyst and Kristian Garic on the the sidelines. A Spanish language broadcast is available on WFNO 830 AM with Emilio Peralta handling play-by-play and Marco Garcia serving as color analyst.
New Orleans is coming off a 27-24 overtime loss to the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday. The two longtime divisional rivals battled well past regulation until Falcons K Matt Bryant booted a 46-yard field goal with 1:55 remaining in the overtime period, making it the longest overtime period played in franchise history.
Despite the loss, New Orleans is tied for first place in the NFC South with Atlanta, who hosts San Francisco and Tampa Bay, who has a bye this weekend. Carolina, who is breaking in a new starting quarterback in rookie Jimmy Clausen, fell to the Cincinnati Bengals 20-7 on Sunday in Charlotte to remain winless.
The Saints-Panthers series has been among the NFL's most closely-contested since Carolina entered the league in 1995 as an expansion franchise. Of the eight games since 2006, three have been decided by a field goal or less.
In 2009, the Saints defeated the Panthers at the Superdome for the first time since 2001 in a 30-20 win on November 8. In the regular season final for both clubs in Charlotte on January 3, the Panthers prevailed 23-10 in a contest where the majority of the Saints' starters watched from the sidelines because the club had already clinched the NFC's number one seed in the playoffs.
