by Sports Xchange

--LCB Jabari Greer sustained a slight groin injury in the fourth quarter Sunday against the Panthers and did not return. Saints coach Sean Payton said the injury is not believed to be significant.

--CB Randall Gay, who comes on the field in the nickel package, moved into Jabari Greer's spot in the base defense Sunday.

--DT Sedrick Ellis has missed the last two games with a sprained right knee, and it's unknown when he might be able to return.

--WR Lance Moore did not play against the Panthers because of a sprained left ankle. It was not known Monday when he might return.

--SLB Scott Fujita missed his third consecutive game, and his availability for Sunday's game at St. Louis was unknown Monday.

--K Garrett Hartley injured his ankle in practice late last week and did not play against the Panthers. He had been a healthy inactive for the three previous games.

--DT Kendrick Clancy, who had played in only two of the first seven games because of a knee problem, was placed on injured reserve Saturday.

--DT DeMario Pressley, a fifth-round draft pick in 2008, was signed from the Saints' practice squad to take Kendrick Clancy's roster spot.

REPORT CARD VS. PANTHERS

PASSING OFFENSE: B-plus -- Drew Brees was sacked once, which resulted in a fumble. He threw an interception, and the Saints dropped several passes. Other than that, they had a pretty decent day, as Brees hit on 24 of 35 passes for 330 yards and one TD with a passer rating of 96.1. New Orleans feasted on big pass plays, with three completions of 40 yards or more after coming into the game with just three in their first seven outings. Robert Meachem, who had five receptions for 98 yards, had a 54-yard TD catch and run to tie the game at 20, while Devery Henderson's 63-yard play set up a third-quarter touchdown. Marques Colston, who had three drops, had a 45-yard gain on his only reception.

RUSHING OFFENSE: C -- For the first time this season, the Saints were just average in running the ball. They went into the game as the fourth-ranked rushing team in the league with 153.3 yards a game, but they finished with 84 yards on 23 attempts for a 3.7 average. Pierre Thomas, who busted loose for a 10-yard TD run in the third quarter, had 50 yards on 13 carries, but Mike Bell and Reggie Bush were held to 17 and 16 yards, respectively. Bell had just five carries and Bush, who did contribute in the passing game with 37 yards on seven receptions, got just two attempts.

PASS DEFENSE: B -- With the Panthers' Muhsin Muhammad missing the game due to a knee injury, the Saints had one fewer weapon to worry about. For the most part, the pass defense performed well even though Steve Smith did get loose for a 46-yard reception with less than two minutes to play. Jake Delhomme was hurried most of the day, but he completed just 17 of 30 passes -- 13 of 25 after halftime -- for 201 yards. He was sacked twice but did not throw an interception in compiling a passer rating of 77.2. Smith, who has had some huge days against the Saints, was the leading receiver with 64 yards on four catches. Dwayne Jarrett added 30 yards on four grabs.

RUSH DEFENSE: B-minus -- For the second consecutive week, the Saints gave up some big numbers, as the Panthers ran for 182 yards and a 4.7 average on 39 carries. But the Saints get a better grade than what it looks like on paper because of their effort in the final three quarters. After the Panthers gained 96 yards on eight attempts in the first quarter -- which was highlighted by DeAngelo Williams' 66-yard scoring run on their second play -- the Saints allowed just 86 yards on 31 carries for a 2.8 average over the final three periods. Williams finished with 149 yards on 21 carries with two TDs, but Jonathan Stewart was kept in check with 24 yards on 13 carries, with a long of 10.

SPECIAL TEAMS: B -- The Saints weren't spectacular, but they did a good enough job -- especially in covering kicks, as they limited the Panthers to no punt returns and a 19.4-yard average on five kickoff returns. Thomas Morstead averaged 38.7 yards -- all net -- on three punts and had two touchbacks on kickoffs. John Carney kicked field goals of 23 and 25 yards in the first half, and his clutch 40-yarder with 4:36 to play in the game gave the Saints their first lead of the day at 23-20. The Saints were so-so on returns, averaging 21.7 yards on three kickoffs and 4.0 yards on one punt.

COACHING: A -- With the Saints 8-0 for the first time in the franchise's 43-year history, Sean Payton and his staff obviously have pushed all the right buttons. But in Sunday's 30-20 victory over the Panthers, they were challenged both offensively and defensively after the team fell behind 14-0 just eight minutes into the game. Still, the coaches didn't allow anyone to panic, and the Saints responded by outscoring the Panthers 30-6 over the final 3 1/2 quarters to remain unbeaten.