New Orleans Saints (3-4) at Carolina Panthers (3-4)

Thursday, 8:25 p.m. ET, at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte – TV: NFL Network

*TV announcers: Jim Nantz, Phil Simms, Tracy Wolfson

*Keys to the game: Road warriors, the Saints are not. Inside their Superdome, they are 3-0 with a 33.6 points per game average. On the road, they are 0-4, while scoring 11.1 fewer points per game. The cure for what ails the Saints on the road could be the tackle-to-tackle downhill running game with Mark Ingram.

Getting Ingram rolling in the first half last week opened up the field for QB Drew Brees. Brees was 11 of 11 in the second half for 124 yards with all three of his touchdowns coming after the Saints and Packers played to a 16-16 tie in the first half.

The running game is enigmatic for the Panthers, but RB DeAngelo Williams, who has not played since suffering a high ankle sprain in Week 4, will start Thursday night and the Panthers welcome the depth. QB Cam Newton should be able to expose the 31st-ranked passing defense. But a makeshift and banged up offensive line has to give Newton some time, which was an issue in recent games against Rob Ryan’s defense.

With a cleaner pocket and Williams and Jonathan Stewart running the ball, Newton has a decent shot of bouncing back from his two worst games of the year.

*Matchup to watch — Saints RB Mark Ingram vs. Panthers MLB Luke Kuechly: With Pierre Thomas (shoulder, rib) and Khiry Robinson (forearm) likely to sit a second straight game, Ingram will carry the load. He had a career-high 172 yards on 24 carries Sunday night and will be ready for more against a Carolina defense that is allowing 135.3 yards per game to rank 28th in the league.

*Player spotlight — Panthers DE Mario Addison: As the supersub behind Charles Johnson, Addison rushes from the left side of the defense over the right tackle where Johnson will also line up on certain downs. Johnson has three sacks and Addison a team-leading four in 2014. The 6-foot-7, 320-pound Zach Strief has been part of a group that has allowed Brees to be dropped just seven times and he’ll have to use his size and strength to keep Johnson, who has had a lot of success against the Saints in the past, and Addison locked out of the pocket.

*Fast facts: Brees is 22-10 in primetime games with the Saints. … The Saints are 1-9 in their last 10 road games. … Kuechly had 24 tackles and an interception in his last game against the Saints.

WHO WILL WIN AND WHY

The Panthers’ schizophrenic defense has the edge with the Saints on grass, not at the sound bubble that is the Superdome, but when New Orleans maintains offensive balance, Drew Brees will be difficult to take down.

*Our pick: Saints 27-22