<span style="">                 <span style="text-decoration: underline;">CAROLINA PANTHERS (3-4) AT NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (7-0)</span>                  

SERIES NOTES

• SERIES LEADER: The Carolina Panthers lead the all-time series between the two franchises, 16-12. The two teams have never met in postseason play.
• STREAKS: The Carolina Panthers have won six-of-the-past seven games between the two franchises.
• COACHES VS. OPP.: Carolina Panthers Head Coach John Fox owns a 10-4 record as a head coach against the Saints. New Orleans Saints Head Coach Sean Payton owns a 1-5 record against the Panthers.
• LAST WEEK: The New Orleans Saints defeated the Atlanta Falcons, 35-27, at the Louisiana Superdome on Monday Night Football. The Carolina Panthers, meanwhile, traveled west to Glen dale, Arizona and defeated the Cardinals, 34-21.
• LAST GAME AT SITE: 12/28/08: Panthers 33 at Saints 31. Carolina K John Kasay kicks game-winning 42-yard FG with 1 second left to give Panthers most wins in franchise history (12).
• BROADCAST: FOX (3:05 PM CT): Thom Brennaman, Brian Billick. Westwood One Radio: Howard David, Dan Reeves. SIRIUS: 91 (Car.), 121 (NO). XM: 107 (NO). The game can heard regionally on the Saints Radio Network (WWL 870 AM and 105.3 FM locally) with Jim Henderson handling play-by-play, Hokie Gajan serving as color analyst and Kristian Garic reporting from the Saints sidelines. A Spanish language broadcast can be heard on WFNO 830 AM with Emilio Peralta handling play-by-play and Marco Garcia serving as color analyst.KEY STATISTICS
  PASSING
  

• New Orleans: Drew Brees: 157-230-2,006 (1C)-16 (T1L)-6-107.6 (3L)
• Carolina: Jake Delhomme: 113-191-1,262-5-13-59.3RUSHING
  

• New Orleans: Pierre Thomas: 70-405-5.8-4
• Carolina: DeAngelo Williams: 128-619 (3C)-4.8-5 (T3C)RECEIVING
  

• New Orleans: Marques Colston: 36-551-15.3-6 (T2L)
• Carolina: Steve Smith: 30-414-13.8-1OFFENSE
  

• New Orleans: 428.7 yards per game (1L)
• Carolina: 318.6 yards per gameTAKE/GIVE
  

• New Orleans: 7 (3rd in NFC)
• Carolina: -8DEFENSE
  

• New Orleans: 326.0 yards per game
• Carolina: 288.1 yards per gameSACKS
  

• New Orleans: DE Will Smith: 4.5
• Carolina: Julius Peppers: 7 (2nd in NFC)INTs
  

• New Orleans: Darren Sharper: 7 (tied for 1st in NFL)
• Carolina: 3 players tied: 2PUNTING
  

• New Orleans: Thomas Morstead (rookie): 44.2
• Carolina: Jason Baker: 46.8KICKING
  

• New Orleans: John Carney: 57 (33/35 PAT; 8/11 FG)
• Carolina: John Kasay: 32 (14/14 PAT; 6/9 FG)NOTES
  SAINTS: Average 39 points per game, most in NFL. Have scored 273 points in 1st 7 games, 4th best in NFL history…QB DREW BREES passed for 386 yards & 4 TDs in last meeting. Since joining NO in 2006, leads NFL with 15,916 pass yards. Has 2 TD passes in 10 of past 11 vs. division (25 TDs). Has 2,083 yards (347.2 per game), 21 TDs, 4 INTs & 126 rating in past 6 vs. NFC…RB-PR REGGIE BUSH has 28 TDs (16 rush, 8 rec, 4 PR) & is only Saint to score via rush, rec. & PR. Aims for 4th in row with TD. RB PIERRE THOMAS had rush & rec. TD last week. Has 534 scrimmage yards (106.8 per game) & 7 TDs (5 rush, 2 rec.) in past 5 at home…WR MARQUES COLSTON has 10 TDs in past 10 & aims for 4th in row with TD. Has 14 catches for 216 yards (108 per game) in past 2 starts vs. Car. TE JEREMY SHOCKEY has 452 receptions since 2002, 3rd most in NFL among TEs. WR LANCE MOORE had 8 catches for 91 yards & 2 TDs in last meeting…S DARREN SHARPER leads NFL with 317 INT yards & 3 INT-TDs. CB JABARI GREER had 48-yard INT-TD last week. DE WILL SMITH had 2 sacks vs. Atl.

PANTHERS: QB JAKE DELHOMME is 8-2 vs. NO. Aims for 5th in row vs. NO with 100 rating. Has 120.3 rating in past 4 meetings. In career as starter (incl. playoffs), when Delhomme has 110 rating, team is 17-1 (.944)…RB DE ANGELO WILLIAMS rushed for 178 yards in last meeting. Has rushed for 696 yards (139.2 per game) & 6 TDs in past 5 vs. division. Has rushed for 591 yards (118.2 per game) & 8 TDs in past 5 in Nov. Has 23 rush TDs in past 19. Team is 10-0 when he rushes for 110 yards. RB JONATHAN STEWART aims for 3rd in row vs. NO with TD run. Has 4 TDs in past 4 vs. division & averages 6.0 yards per carry. Rushed for 2 TDs last week…WR STEVE SMITH has 11 catches for 256 yards (128 per game) & TD in past 2 meetings. Since 2005, averages 84.3 rec. yards per game, 2nd most in NFL (min. 50 games). Has 100 yards in 6 of past 7 vs. NFC South…DE JULIUS PEPPERS had 13-yard INT-TD, sack & FF last week. Has 21.5 sacks in past 21, incl. 6 in past 4. Aims for 3rd in row vs. NO with sack. Rookie S SHERROD MARTIN had 1st 2 INTs of career last week.