CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Here was an interesting development for a team that has spent most of the last two months trying and failing to win football games: The New Orleans Saints played with a sense of togetherness at the exact time everyone expected them to fall apart.

It was earlier in the week when the Saints shipped off two of their starting players at the trade deadline. They entered Sunday’s game with a 1-8 record, with the last three losses making them look like a team close to falling apart. And then they aligned as one and punched an ascending Carolina Panthers team in the mouth.

Carolina mustered just 175 net yards against the Saints defense. Running back Rico Dowdle, who’d rushed for more than 650 yards in the previous five games , managed just 53 yards and 2.9 yards per carry

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