Ground Attack Leads Saints Past Panthers : NFC: New Orleans capitalizes on six Carolina turnovers and Bates rushes for two scores in 34-26 victory.

Mario Bates ran for two touchdowns and Derek Brown had one as New Orleans found its ground game against one of the NFL’s toughest defenses in a 34-26 victory over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday night.

The Saints (5-7) ran for 180 yards against the Panthers, who had limited five of the last six opponents to less than 100 yards rushing. Bates gained 71 yards in 19 carries against Carolina, ranked sixth in defense going into the game.

The victory avenged New Orleans’ 20-3 loss to Carolina earlier this season, and came a week after the Saints lost, 43-24, to Minnesota.

The Panthers (5-7) have won five of their last seven games and have the most victories for an expansion team in league history.

The Panthers kept it close until Brown’s 35-yard touchdown with 4:54 left made the score 34-19.

New Orleans opened the second half with an 83-yard kickoff return by Tyrone Hughes, but settled for a 39-yard field goal by Doug Brien.

Bates added his second touchdown, a six-yard run late in the third quarter.

Carolina took advantage of a fumble by Jim Everett as Kerry Collins hit Mark Carrier for a three-yard touchdown. The Panthers converted the two-point attempt for the second time in the game, to cut New Orleans’ lead to 27-19.

Following Brown’s touchdown run, Collins tossed his second 60-yard touchdown of the game, this one to Carrier, with 23 seconds left for the final margin.

The Saints led, 17-11, at the half, converting a fumble and two interceptions into a four-yard touchdown run by Bates, a 27-yard touchdown pass from Everett to Quinn Early and a 45-yard field goal by Brien.

The Panthers’ points came on a 60-yard pass from Collins to Willie Green and a two-point conversion, and John Kasay’s 22-yard field goal.

Each team lost two fumbles. Collins was intercepted four times and sacked twice.