The win keeps the Panthers one game behind the Saints

Three "Downs" and one "Up" from the game."We all knew the stinker game was coming eventually.The Saints were never really competitive in the game Drew Brees Jersey White , even though the score always remained close. There were still a few “Ups” and “Downs” along the way. Here are a few that stood out:Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty ImagesDown: OfficiatingThis isn’t just the “homer” in me - the officiating in this game was absolutely abysmal. The ticky-tacky offsides penalty on Randy Gregory... The non-call of defensive pass interference on targets to Michael Thomas... The missed facemask call on Taylor Stallworth against Dak Prescott... The potential offensive pass interference on Keith Kirkwood on the Saints TD catch... The incorrect call on Michael Thomas’s catch early in the game... The overturned call on the Dan Arnold catch and fumble...Few were more egregious than the non-call on the targeting hit on Alvin Kamara that resulted in the Saints having to punt the ball back to the Cowboys or the Cole Beasley third down play that was incorrectly called a first down. Unfortunately, due to two earlier missed called from the officials, the Saints were out of challenges to have the call overturned.Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY SportsUp: Saints defenseThe Saints defense cannot be faulted for the loss. The Saints defensive line caused chaos for Dak Prescott all game, with David Onyemata one of the major culprits. Cam Jordan also had a big game, with no moment more critical than his sack-fumble (all while being held) late in the fourth quarter.The Saints were largely able to hold Ezekiel Elliott in check in the ground game, and the Saints forced two turnovers to keep the Saints in the game.Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty ImagesDown: Saints receiversAll in all, the Saints receivers struggled all game. There were drops from all of the Saints receivers, even including Saints RB Alvin Kamara Womens Marcus Davenport Jersey , all game. Even Drew Brees’s first pass of the game, was a dropped first down from Keith Kirkwood. The Saints would go on to punt after a three-and-out.It’s possible this Saints group of UDFA wide receivers will simply struggle against stronger secondaries. Ted Ginn Jr and Brandon Marshall can’t get here fast enough.Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty ImagesDown: Drew BreesYes, the Saints offensive line didn’t make things easier on Drew, but he just had a bad game. Drew made bad reads and missed throws from the drive of the game. On Drew’s late interception that sealed the victory for Dallas, Drew said he was trying to just throw the ball away, but he couldn’t even do that correctly.It’s possible that Drew’s overall poor performance against the Cowboys (18 of 28 for 127 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT Tre'Quan Smith Jersey White , and a 16.3 QBR) just cost him the MVP. The Saints keep winning, but so did the majority of the division. Here’s how the NFC South’s teams played in Week 9.Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY SportsComing into Week 9, the entire NFC South was back in action. The third place Atlanta Falcons (3-4) were fresh off their bye, facing the Washington Redskins in DC. The second place Carolina Panthers (5-2) hosted the fourth place Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-4). Those two games were both Sunday at noon. Then, Sunday afternoon, the New Orleans Saints (6-1) hosted the undefeated Los Angeles Rams (8-0) in the Mercedes-Benz Super Dome. The Saints took care of business against the Rams, handing Los Angeles their first loss of the season on way to improving to 7-1. The Atlanta Falcons put a whooping on the Washington Redskins, winning by a final of 38-14 Womens Alvin Kamara Jersey , to improve to .500 at 4-4. So while those two NFC South teams won, someone had to lose between the Buccaneers and Panthers. Unfortunately for the Saints, it was the Buccaneers who lost, 42-28. The loss dropped the Buccaneers to sole possession of last place in the NFC South, at 3-5. The win keeps the Panthers one game behind the Saints in second place, at 6-2. Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty ImagesNow into Week 10, the entire NFC South is still back in action.The second place Carolina Panthers travel to the first place Pittsburgh Steelers (5-2-1) on Thursday Night Football. The Atlanta Falcons are also on the road, facing in the Cleveland Browns (2-6-1) in the Dog Pound. The New Orleans Saints are the third NFC South team to play up north Michael Thomas Saints Jersey , facing in the second place Cincinnati Bengals (5-3) in Cincy. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are the only divisional team to play at home, hosting the first place Washington Redskins (5-3). All three of those games are Sunday at noon CST.Aside from the Falcons’ matchup, the other three opponents for the NFC South are fairly evenly matched, all three sitting with five wins. If the Saints want to gain ground on the Panthers and Bucs, this would be a great week to do so. But first things first:#BeattheBengals