The New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers meet for the third time this season on Sunday. The Saints meet their divisional rival in the friendly confines of the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, where they have not hosted a playoff game since defeating the Detroit Lions in January, 2012. The Saints defeated Carolina in their two previous meeting this year, a 34-13 October win in Carolina, followed by a 31-21 defeat of the Panthers in early December.
New Orleans won the NFC South this season in part because of a vastly improved and aggressive defense, which will be a key to any playoff run the team hopes to achieve.