Saints 7, Panthers 3 early in 2nd quarter

So far on a beautiful October afternoon in Charlotte, the Saints and Panthers are involved in just the sort of tight contest you'd expect.

Carolina has had the ball 3 times and managed only 3 points -- a field goal on its first drive. Since then, the Panthers keep trying to run the ball early in the possession, keep getting stuffed, and keep missing third-and-longs.

New Orleans, on the other hand, is giving Carolina a major dose of Reggie Bush, and the Panthers just aren't able to handle his speed so far -- at least not consistently. Bush already has a 29-yard run that helped set up the Saints' first TD.

However, Julius Peppers has shown up today for Carolina. He already has a sack and just forced a fumble on a tight-end screen, tomahawking the ball out of Jeremy Shockey's hands. Chris Harris recovered it, so Carolina takes over at the New Orleans 40.