These are two squads going in opposite directions. The team by the Bayou, the New Orleans Saints are a far cry from the team that dominated the Carolina Panthers in Week 1, 47-10, but neither are the Panthers.
Carolina defeated their NFC South division rival New Orleans by the skin of their teeth, 23-22, a 360-degree turnaround from the season opener when the Saints abused the Panthers by 37. Both teams are 2-7 as the Saints dropped their seventh consecutive game.
“The guys had a finish mentality,” coach Dave Canales said. “It was back and forth for a while there, but for our guys to play their calls and execute the way we want them to execute and make plays, the guys have to proud of that. I can’t be more fired up.”
The Panthers got into the end zone and scored the game-winner with 2:18 remaining in the fourth on a 16-yard touchdown run by Chuba Hubbard, who carried the ball 15 times for 72 yards and two scores.
After everything he has been through, from the high of being drafted No. 1 overall, to rock bottom being benched in Week 2, for the first time in 20 career NFL starts, quarterback Bryce Young lined up in victory formation to take a snap to close out a Panthers win.
“In the moment of it, you don’t think about, but looking back on it it’s a good thing,” Young said with a smile.
Young was efficient, completing 16 of 26 passes for 171 yards with a touchdown and a pick. He threw a 3-yard touchdown to Xavier Legette in the first half.
Embed from Getty ImagesHubbard was ecstatic for Young, calling it a big win for confidence and praised him for his ability to stay ready.
“All of the adversity he has had to deal with, he has handled it great,” Hubbard said. “He has stayed a leader and been a great teammate and kept working. For him to get this and play as well as he did, he deserves it.”
The Saints took a five-point advantage, 22-17, on Derek Carr’s 17-yard touchdown pass to Foster Moreau with 11:55 remaining. The two-point conversion attempt failed. It was Carr’s first game back after suffering an oblique injury on Monday Night Football against the Kansas City Chiefs. Carr was 18-of-31 for 236 yards and a touchdown.
New Orleans had an abundance of time to march down the field and win it with a field goal, but the Panther defense had other ideas and they could only muster 26 yards to their own 46-yard line before turning it over on downs. The Saints were missing their best pass catcher, wide receiver Chris Olave, who was taken to a local hospital for a concussion in the first half on an illegal hit by Xavier Woods. Olave, who also had a concussion in Week 6, was released from the hospital and will fly home with the team.
Half back Alvin Kamara was a bell cow on Sunday, running for 155 yards on 29 carries and caught six passes for 60 additional yards for the Saints, who have lost seven straight games under embattled coach Dennis Allen.
“I’m hurting right now,” Allen said. “I’m hurting for our city, for our organization and these guys in the locker room. They put their heart and soul into it. To keep coming out on the negative end is quite challenging.”
There is huge speculation that Allen’s days in New Orleans are numbered.
The Saints host Kirk Cousins and the Atlanta Falcons next Sunday.
The Panthers travel to Munich, Germany to face Daniel Jones and the New York Giants on Sunday.
