Surging Saints aim to rediscover their 'dome' advantage against the frustrated Eagles

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Saints quarterback Derek Carr hopes to experience the Superdome in a new way on Sunday.

The 50-year-old venue, which will host its eighth Super Bowl this February, has in recent years lacked the mix of anticipatory buzz and deafening crescendos that defined big games during the glory days of former coach Sean Payton and record-setting quarterback Drew Brees.

Carr even got booed at times last season, his first with New Orleans, as the Saints labored through a third straight non-playoff campaign.

But Carr and Co. sense a different energy as New Orleans (2-0) prepares to host the Philadelphia Eagles (1-1) on Sunday.

“We had to prove it to our fans. We didn’t give them good enough football last year,” Carr said. “We knew if we want to do what we want to do, we were going to need that stadium rocking. And we have to play good football for that to happen. I’m excited for this Sunday and to feel that atmosphere, for sure.”

The Saints' unexpected blazing start to 2024, credited in no small part to new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, has grabbed the attention of the NFL. First came their 47-10 rout of the Carolina Panthers, followed by an arguably more impressive 44-19 victory at Dallas in Week 2.

“They have an explosive running back with (Alvin) Kamara. They’ve got speed at wide receiver. Derek Carr has seen and played a lot of football, and when he’s on, he’s on,” Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said. “They run the ball well, they’re explosive with the pass game, and they’re going to be a big-time challenge in a hostile environment.”

Fan enthusiasm around the Big Easy, noticeably tepid during the offseason, has spiked dramatically since Sept. 8.

Tickets that could be had for as low as $11 near the top of the upper deck in Week 1 are now going for around $200.

“It’s going to be fun," said Saints safety Tyrann Mathieu, a New Orleans native who was in high school during New Orleans' 2009 championship season. "Obviously, we got off to a good start and you can feel it. You can feel it in the locker room. You can feel it in the city among the fans. And we’ve just got to keep that going.”

Still, the Saints expect the Eagles to arrive salty and motivated after losing 22-21 to visiting Atlanta on Monday night.

“They’re coming off a tough loss. You don’t think they’re going to come out and fight?” Carr said, noting the Eagles reached the Super Bowl two seasons ago. “This is a championship football team that we’re about to play and we better bring it.”

The Saints' first two opponents apparently were caught off guard by their new offense, which features a lot of outside zone runs and play-action passing.

Not only are the Saints' 91 points an NFL high through two weeks, but all of their scoring has come on 11 offensive TDs and five field goals.

Kubiak is “creative, he trusts us, and we trust him," guard Lucas Patrick said. “When there’s the marriage of the play-caller and the players, that’s when special things can happen.”

Kubiak, who was an offensive assistant with San Francisco's 2023 Super Bowl team, was hired by third-year Saints coach Dennis Allen in a break from a system installed by Payton in 2006 and retained, to a large extent, for two seasons after he left.

Allen, a defensive coach, said Kubiak's system, which allows for multiple plays to be run out of similar pre-snap looks, is “all about making the defense have to defend the whole gamut of plays, defend the whole field.”

While Allen's defense has started strongly this season, it has struggled against Hurts in years past.

Hurts had 175 yards and three TDs rushing combined in two triumphant starts against New Orleans in 2020 and 2021. He has 118 yards and a TD rushing this season.

“It's going to be tough for us,” Mathieu said. “Everybody has to do their job. ... If you're responsible to play pass, play pass. If you're responsible to play run, play run.”

General manger Howie Roseman once joked that had the Eagles kept drafting Georgia players, his team might be relegated to the Southeastern Conference.

The way they're playing, some of those former Bulldogs could be relegated to the bench.

Philly selected defensive tackle Jalen Carter with the No. 9 overall pick and edge rusher Nolan Smith with the 30th pick in the 2023 draft, a year after they picked linebacker Nakobe Dean and defensive tackle Jordan Davis in the 2022 draft.

Carter had just one assisted tackle against the Falcons, and has no sacks and one quarterback hit through two games. Davis, Carter and Smith combined for four tackles and no sacks against Atlanta.

“I think all three guys have shown moments of having a lot of good plays, and all of them have had bumps, too,” Sirianni said. “But that’s every player. I have a lot of confidence in those guys and their abilities ... but we’ve got to be better as a whole."

Former Eagles greats Fletcher Cox, who retired at the end of last season, and Seth Joyner have been critical of Davis, who has 2 1/2 sacks in 32 games with the Eagles.

The woes of the so-called “Philly Bulldogs” have been a subplot in a subpar overall defensive performance — particularly against the run — under new coordinator Vic Fangio. The Eagles have allowed 157.5 yards rushing per game and have only three sacks. Defensive end Bryce Huff, a free agent signing, has no quarterback hits or sacks.

The Eagles have allowed 11 rushing plays of 10-plus yards and now face Kamara and his NFL-best 5.7 yards per carry.

“Do we have to put them in different positions and try different things? Yeah, and the defense was trying to do that,” Sirianni said.

AP Sports Writer Dan Gelston in Philadelphia contributed to this report.

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) runs past Atlanta Falcons defensive tackle David Onyemata (90) during the first half of an NFL football game Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

New Orleans Saints safety Tyrann Mathieu (32) reacts with teammates, including Kool-Aid McKinstry (14) and Jordan Howden (31) after intercepting a pass by Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Jeffrey McWhorter)

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Mason Tipton (84) and quarterback Derek Carr (4) react after a touchdown run by teammate Alvin Kamara during the first half of an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni and Kellen Moore, offensive coordinator react to a two-point conversion by Eagles running back Saquon Barkley during the second half of an NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons on Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

New Orleans Saints fans celebrate during the second half of an NFL football game against the Carolina Panthers, Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Matthew Hinton)

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) runs with the ball during the second half of an NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons on Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr looks to pass against the Dallas Cowboys during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Jeffrey McWhorter)

MAPUTO, Mozambique (AP) — Mozambique is voting for a new president on Wednesday in an election that is expected to extend the ruling party's 49 years in power since the southern African nation gained independence from Portugal in 1975.

Daniel Chapo, 47, is the candidate for the ruling Front for the Liberation of Mozambique, or Frelimo, seeking to succeed President Filipe Nyusi, who has served a maximum two terms.

Analysts say the strongest challenge to Chapo and Frelimo's dominance will likely come from 50-year-old independent Venancio Mondlane, a newcomer to national politics.

People also will vote for the makeup of Parliament and for provincial governors in a country of some 33 million people that went through a bloody, 15-year civil war that ended in 1992, and more recently has been shaken by an ongoing violent jihadist insurgency in the north.

Ending that insurgency and bringing stability to Cabo Delgado province — where 1.3 million fled their homes and more than half remain displaced — is a pledge by both leading candidates, while poverty, youth unemployment and government corruption are top issues for voters.

"I am still selling biscuits at a vegetable market here in Maputo to take care of my two children," 35-year-old Felicidade Simao said at a polling station. “My husband is unemployed and we are struggling. I want the best for my children and the winner of this election must make the dream of a better life in the future.”

Vote-counting is due to start right after polls close in the one-day election. Preliminary results from some areas are expected from Thursday, and the full results must be delivered to the Constitutional Council within 15 days of polls closing to be validated and formally declared. Around 17 million people are registered to vote.

The credibility of the election will be under scrutiny, with the leftist Frelimo party accused of ballot-stuffing and falsifying results in previous votes, including last year's local elections.

Frelimo has consistently denied the accusations of election tampering. Teams of regional and international election observers are in Mozambique, including from the European Union.

Frelimo effectively established a one-party state following independence and fought a civil war against the Mozambique National Resistance, or Renamo, for a decade and a half. The country, where Portuguese remains the official language, held its first elections in 1994, two years after a peace agreement.

Renamo is also contesting this election, with party leader Ossufo Momade, a military commander in the civil war, its candidate for president. The peace between Frelimo and Renamo has been fragile, with an outbreak of more fighting in 2013. Momade and outgoing leader Nyusi signed another peace deal in 2019.

But tensions remain, especially between the two political parties that were once at war with each other.

There are four candidates for president: Chapo, Mondlane, Momade and Lutero Simango of the Mozambique Democratic Movement, who is viewed as an outsider.

“I thank the entire Mozambican population for this opportunity we have today,” favorite Chapo said as he voted in the southern city of Inhambane. “We equally salute everyone for this orderly and peaceful environment seen since the beginning of the electoral campaign.”

The independent Mondlane, who broke away from Renamo, has focused his campaign on young Mozambicans frustrated with poverty and unemployment. The country boasts a long coastline of picturesque beaches on the Indian Ocean, but that vulnerable area has been battered by cyclones in recent years. A drought this year in the southern African region has left more than a million Mozambicans impacted by hunger.

Meanwhile, it emerged in 2016 that government officials and others had embezzled more than $2 billion in foreign loans that were kept secret, sending the economy into a crisis from which it is still recovering.

“All Mozambicans have high hopes from the new president,” said 69-year-old Baptista Antonio, who was one of the first to vote at an elementary school in the capital and port city of Maputo. "I was born during the colonial era and saw many transformations of the country from wars to development and all I can say is it’s a work in progress. There are many challenges ahead.”

Mondlane was aligned with a coalition of opposition parties, but they were barred from contesting the election, which raised accusations against Frelimo of attempting to control the election. He is now supported by a new party called Podemos, which means “we can” in Portuguese. A former banker, Mondlane drew large crowds to some of his boisterous pre-election rallies, and his emergence is a new challenge to Frelimo, which has traditionally won national elections comfortably ahead of Renamo.

Most analysts expect Frelimo to remain in power. It was declared the winner with more than 70% of the vote in national elections five years ago.

The Pangea risk company, which provides security and investment advice on developing countries, said Chapo's election has been "carefully stage managed" by Frelimo.

Chapo worked as a radio announcer and television presenter before becoming a law professor. He was the governor of southern Inhambane province — Mozambique's flagship tourism region — but was a surprise winner of an internal party vote in May to become Frelimo's presidential candidate.

Chapo would be Mozambique's first leader born after independence if he wins.

AP Africa news: https://apnews.com/hub/africa

A pedestrian passes a wall of election posters in Maputo, Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024, ahead of elections to be held in Mozambique. (AP Photo/Carlos Uqueio)

A poster of independent candidate Venacio Mondlane is held at an election rally on Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024 in Maputo ahead of elections in Mozambique. (AP Photo/Carlos Uqueio)

A building displays ruling party posters in support of presidential candidate Daniel Chapo ahead of elections in Maputo, Mozambique, Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Carlos Uqueio)

People queue to cast their votes during the general elections in Maputo, Mozambique, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Charles Mangwiro)

People queue to cast their votes during the general elections in Maputo, Mozambique, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Charles Mangwiro)

People queue to cast their votes during general elections in Maputo, Mozambique, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Carlos Equeio)

People queue to cast their votes during general elections in Maputo, Mozambique, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Carlos Equeio)

People queue to cast their votes during the general elections in Maputo, Mozambique, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Charles Mangwiro)

People queue to cast their votes during general elections in Maputo, Mozambique, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Carlos Equeio)

People queue to cast their votes during general elections in Maputo, Mozambique, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Carlos Equeio)

People queue to cast their votes during general elections in Maputo, Mozambique, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Carlos Equeio)

Supporters take part in a ruling party rally for presidential candidate Daniel Chapo, centre, ahead of elections, in Maputo, Mozambique, Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Carlos Uqueio)

A woman sits between bread rolls in Maputo, Mozambique, Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024 ahead of elections to be held in the country. (AP Photo/Carlos Uqueio)

Independent candidate Venacio Mondlane, atop truck, attends an election rally in Maputo, Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024 ahead of elections to be held in Mozambique. (AP Photo/Carlos Uqueio)

Supporters take part in a ruling party rally to support presidential candidate Daniel Chapo ahead of elections, in Maputo, Mozambique, Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Carlos Uqueio)